Plan B Forum

Well into Bloodline, a Netflix original: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3520702/?ref_=ttep_ep_tt

Good cast and acting, well-written with complicated family dynamics, awesome opening credits. Definitely worth the watch if you like the flawed hero/intense situation type of show.

Speaking of complicated family dynamics, flawed heroes and intense situations, we just finished binge-watching the Mideast spy thriller Fauda on Netflix. Netflix politely translates "Fauda" as "Chaos," but in this context I think it's more accurately rendered as "Clusterfuck." Really well written and acted, with a much more realistic illumination of the issues and players driving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I highly recommend it, and I understand there is a second season being released later this winter, and that the series has been renewed for a third season. (You can watch it dubbed in English, but I think it's much better in the original Hebrew & Arabic with subtitles; even if you don't speak the languages -- my modern conversational Hebrew is frankly terrible and I don't speak Arabic at all -- the emotional expression really carries regardless.)

Why all this fixation with TV shows that technically aren't TV shows?

Seriously, what do most of these 'recommended' shows have in common?  They're on streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, or PPV channels like HBO and Showtime, for which you
1) have to pay extra, and
2) watch them on your computer or smartphone, or
3) need some sort of razzle-dazzle system to pump the feed to a high-tech TV.

-"BB"-

And the real tv news programs never actually go to the tape at eleven. BB, I bet you have not even memorized all your PIN numbers.
Popular language is always a technical mess. Can anybody dial 911 in an emergency?

snailgate

Bicycle Bill wrote:Why all this fixation with TV shows that technically aren't TV shows?

Seriously, what do most of these 'recommended' shows have in common?  They're on streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, or PPV channels like HBO and Showtime, for which you
1) have to pay extra, and
2) watch them on your computer or smartphone, or
3) need some sort of razzle-dazzle system to pump the feed to a high-tech TV.

-"BB"-

Do you still get your teevee signals through the rabbit ears, then have to switch over to the round thingie for UHF? Are you still watching Captain Video on the DuMont Network?

Sue U wrote:Do you still get your teevee signals through the rabbit ears, then have to switch over to the round thingie for UHF? Are you still watching Captain Video on the DuMont Network?

No rabbit ears or rooftop antenna; I'm using Charter Communication's second-level cable system/internet bundle — which does include cable-specific channels like AMC, Travel, Science, MeTV, ESPN, and SciFi (which I guess now calls itself 'SyFy') — without any extra charge add-ons like HBO or Showtime.  I'm still using a CRT-type TV to watch them on so I don't need or want any of the 'hi-def' channels, and since I don't use it I don't know the first thing about the 'On Demand' feature or the DVR that's supposed to be a part of my package either.

And even without all those extras that seem to be de rigueur these days, I still manage to waste enough time in front of it in the evenings.

-"BB"-

I spend $37/month for Hulu, Netflix, Amazon & PBS all access (the full archive). For an additional $5,$10,$15 I can add HBO or Showtime or some other premium channel when I want to watch some of that content - I usually do it once or twice a year for just a month.

The programs are terrific quality, you can watch foreign stuff like Sue recommended (I loved the original Israeli version of Homeland that I watched on Hulu), and I can watch when & where I want - a lot cheaper than cable, too!

I’m pissed about the net neutrality rollback because my awesome entertainment system is probably fucked.