Binge Watching Series Recommendations

[Chik]

Apparently, Hinterland has been such a hit that people are googling where Hinterland is / how to get to Hinterland. I know, it's a little difficult to believe. Anyway, a brilliant series.

I learned a new word watching Broadchurch: DILF. Mansplain to me how I can become one.

Question on Happy Valley: I started watching the first episode but couldn't be arsed to finish. Does it get better?

[j44ke]

Happy Valley just never clicked for me.

Hinterland goes a bit heavy on the inner demons thing, and the writers telegraph plot twists too loudly - like the white-haired police chief for example - and believe in redemption too strongly - police chief again. But in terms of pacing and the construction of expanses of time with nearly no dialogue, not to mention all the beautiful landscape and images of a Volvo roaring around twisty roads (though they do use the same stretch of road too often) there is a lot to like. I wish they had developed the relationship between the protagonist and the innkeeper lady more. That was just getting good in a very subtle way, but perhaps that might be only because it was an liminal plot feature and if the writers focused on it the subtlety would be lost.

[defspace]

Our Planet with David Attenborough is phenomenal and heart-breaking so far. A really good follow-up to the Planet Earth series and the message is certainly poignant.

We just finished Blue Planet II and started in on Our Planet. I'd love to see documentaries on how the documentaries are made. Terrific stuff.

[dgaddis]

We just finished Blue Planet II and started in on Our Planet. I'd love to see documentaries on how the documentaries are made. Terrific stuff.

There is some behind the scense stuff for Planet Earth on YouTube. Here's one ::

[Chik]

I had high expectations for London Spy but found that there is just too much of Ben Whishaw. He's cute and all, but there can be too much of a good thing. Both the missus and I would have preferred if they showed other people or other things for more than a second every once in a while, and if the camera has to point at Ben, then the shots to be slightly less close... We couldn't watch more than 1 1/2 episodes...

[davids]

The Sopranos was pretty good. Anyone else see it?

But seriously. We were not an HBO home when the show aired, and my wife & I have been slowly watching it all for the last couple years.
We finally reached the last episode last weekend.
While I didn't know every detail of the hour we were about to watch, I did know the song that played over the final scene.
So I was more than a little amused when we heard "Don't Stop Believing" playing at our local liquor store, our last stop before we went home to watch the finale.
I made sure to point out that there's no such place as "South Detroit" so the song would register with my dear wife.

[ides1056]

I saw John Gotti on the street when I lived in Little Italy. Felt eyes on me and turned to see him watching me. My cousin's brother in law was his attorney, and was treated like a rock star at family gatherings.

Made no sense to me then.

[cash]

The Americans. Very good. Espionage drama set in the 80s.

[dgaddis]

The Americans. Very good. Espionage drama set in the 80s.

+1 It's really good, and doesn't seem to get much credit.

The Umbrella Academy on Netflix has been pretty interesting, in a super-hero thing sorta way.

The Watchmen is being made into a series for HBO, they're filming some scenes right outside my wife's work starting next week, or the week after, I can' remember. They've been setting up sets in some of the store fronts and stuff. It's gonna 'eff up her commute...she might not be able to park in her parking lot for a week.

[Corso]

+1 It's really good, and doesn't seem to get much credit.

The Umbrella Academy on Netflix has been pretty interesting, in a super-hero thing sorta way.

The Watchmen is being made into a series for HBO, they're filming some scenes right outside my wife's work starting next week, or the week after, I can' remember. They've been setting up sets in some of the store fronts and stuff. It's gonna 'eff up her commute...she might not be able to park in her parking lot for a week.

I felt the Umbrella Academy had a Watchmen (original movie) sort of vibe. Comic originally penned by the guy from My Chemical Romance- once my youngest daughters fav. So She's been talking up UA for years. I dug it! Thought the casting was spot on.

Watching True Detective Season 3 on HBO now. Season 1 was a grand slam, Season 2 was panned (although if it pre-dated Season 1, it would have been praised), but S3 flew under my radar. So far, I really like it.

[dgaddis]

I felt the Umbrella Academy had a Watchmen (original movie) sort of vibe. Comic originally penned by the guy from My Chemical Romance- once my youngest daughters fav. So She's been talking up UA for years. I dug it! Thought the casting was spot on.

Yeah, definitely similar feel to the Watchman.

We're gonna try and get down and check out the new Watchman set this weekend. They've been working on it for nearly a month, and they're only going to film there for a week. They basically took a whole building of empty storefronts and filled them up with fake stores full of merchandise and everything.

[defspace]

The Sopranos was pretty good. Anyone else see it?

But seriously. We were not an HBO home when the show aired, and my wife & I have been slowly watching it all for the last couple years.
We finally reached the last episode last weekend.
While I didn't know every detail of the hour we were about to watch, I did know the song that played over the final scene.
So I was more than a little amused when we heard "Don't Stop Believing" playing at our local liquor store, our last stop before we went home to watch the finale.
I made sure to point out that there's no such place as "South Detroit" so the song would register with my dear wife.

Hey! Spoiler alert! Just kidding. I'm pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out. We're two episodes from the end. It's been a long haul... but great. I'll add a +1 for The Sopranos. It's one of the "free" shows on Amazon Prime.

The Americans. Very good. Espionage drama set in the 80s.

This is our next drama. Glad to hear it's good.

We typically watch two shows at a time - one hour-long drama and one 30-minute comedy.
I also keep an hour-long drama in my back pocket for recovery rides on the rollers. I finally rewatched all of Breaking Bad. Still great. It's fun to go through it after having watched Better Call Saul.

[giordana93]

bumping this one back up to the top for HBO miniseries that just finished (so you don't have to wait for it week by week). not exactly long enough to qualify as binging at only 6 hours, but mostly well done, if not a little stereotypical in portrayal of Soviet state. There is also a decidedly anti-nuclear bias as regards the dangers and effects, but it is made for tv. still pretty good

Chernobyl: Starring Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, & More | HBO

[dgaddis]

^^The series is really well done.

[72gmc]

^^^ I caught 2 brief scenes of Chernobyl during my hotel stay (hotel stays are my chance to see current series) and it looks very good.

[rec head]

Question about Chernobyl, it obviously isn't a pick me up but how shitty do you feel after an episode? I suggested starting it to my wife and she said it looks too depressing.

[bdaghisallo]

Just watched The 12th Man on netflix. Just a movie but a very good watch. If only i had 10% of the resilience and fortitude this man had.

[davids]

I'm watching Broad City and am so very impressed with these guys. Season One was good, but beginning with the second season it's been amazingly funny.

And my wife & I started watching High Maintenance (we know someone who just started working on the show so we were curious) and it's pretty damn cool. The meandering stories have really drawn us in - my wife said it's like pulling a loose thread and following its path.

[VertigoCycles]

Question about Chernobyl, it obviously isn't a pick me up but how shitty do you feel after an episode? I suggested starting it to my wife and she said it looks too depressing.

The depressing feeling isn't necessarily one that my wife and I experienced although there are certainly elements of that, particularly in one pretty heavy episode. One of my biggest takeaways is the reinforcement of how I've always imagined the political dysfunction of Russia and the fact that it's not too big a stretch to imagine that it's happening here as well.

[giordana93]

Question about Chernobyl, it obviously isn't a pick me up but how shitty do you feel after an episode? I suggested starting it to my wife and she said it looks too depressing.

it's really not that bad for a few reasons: one, you know the outcome; and yes, the whole color scheme is drab, but by putting a human face on the numbers/issues, it helps. two, there are a "how are they going to contain this disaster" and "what exactly happened" questions that add an intellectual challenge/plot element, so it's not just a Towering Inferno disaster movie (if you get that reference you are officially old)