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This is perhaps more appropriate for the "TV of 2024" thread but the Toby Jones starring "Mr Bates vs The Post Office" series that aired last week has been having a massive impact in the UK, which I was quite surprised by as I assumed that everyone was already aware of the egregious miscarriages of justice that the series talked about where after the introduction of a computer system (in a 'modernisation' move spearheaded by Tony Blair) to replace the old style methods of accounting for the branches, that led to computer errors suggesting tens of thousands of pounds were being lost from individual Post Office accounts. Instead of, maybe you know checking their computer system unfortunately many Post Office Masters were charged for the losses by the main organisation and treated as criminals (we've just had the news this morning that there were incentives of bonuses being paid to the people finding 'wrongdoers' to blame), with some even prosecuted and jailed for their 'crimes'. This went on for over two decades (during which time some of those traduced by the system had died) before there was a concerted grass roots campaign against the Post Office led by the titular Mr Bates (first name Alan).

Since it aired last week, this has become ITV's most watched drama series in three years; more than 50 new people have come forward with their own stories of being hounded for losses incurred by the computer system; questions asked about where all the money individual Post Masters were forced to 'pay back' the Post Office for has disappeared to; the government has jumped on the bandwagon by suggesting a blanket exoneration for all of those involved (which begs the question of why the hell it took a TV series to 'make them aware' of the issue, either Conservative, Lib Dems or Labour, all of whom were in power during these events. Although it is obvious that the series shamed the government into having to act. And the Liberal Democrat leader is having to ask questions about his involvement a decade ago); the head of the Post Office (who was given a CBE by the Royals just after the situation was 'resolved' with the prosecutions) is being pressured to hand her honour back. And there is talk about compensating the victims, though of course that does not really help those who went to prison, lost their livelihoods or homes, or had family members who died thinking they were at fault for the Post Office's cock ups.

Colin, I'm not surprised that you're surprised about the impact of Mr Bates and what is emerging as one of the most shameful miscarriages of justice in the UK. This has been going on for over 20 years and has a way to go yet. The power of the programme lies in its ability to highlight the cumulative effect on a group of public servants over a long period of time and its ability to 'democratise' what can often be a quite complex set of circumstances. Furthermore it 'stars' some of the cream of British TV drama (Toby Young, the wonderful Monica Dolan etc) playing 'ordinary' characters. Oh, and there's the minor matter of a General Election due in the next 12 months!
I have been watching open-mouthed at the live televised reports of the ongoing public inquiry and which is producing hours of dramatic gold which will inevitably lead to Mr Bates 2.

Apologies for the quibble, but it's Toby Jones who's the star of Mr Bates vs The Post Office and an all-round national treasure.

Toby Young very much isn't, on either count.

Interestingly, both had famous dads, although I suspect Freddie Jones has more to be posthumously proud of regarding the achievements of his offspring than poor Michael Young.

Yeah, I don’t think non-Brits will be able to appreciate the impact that this four-part drama has had. The first episode was broadcast on 1st January, with a further one each on the following three days, although the whole series could be streamed from the 1st. The story has since dominated the UK news cycle since premiering and still is on 11th January. People have pondered whether it is the most impactful TV drama since Cathy Come Home in 1966.

As an on-and-off Private Eye reader, I have been familiar with the saga for years and thought I’d never see justice prevail. The shortcomings of the system are just incredible when you read about the technical failings and what was and wasn’t possible. The Post Office then completely lost sight of doing anything but what they thought was best for, regardless of ethics and morals, essentially looking to profit from legal scaremongering of sub-postmasters.

Speaking of Private Eye, here's Ian Hislop taking a Conservative MP to task earlier today (incidentally the MP who said during the inflation last year that poor people will just tighten their pursestrings and pick up a second job or two to weather the storm, as most politicians seem to do). Although we should emphasise that all governments of all stripes and political affiliations appear to have colluded in this situation to charitably ignore, and uncharitably cover up, the issue.

It kind of has the qualities of the 2008 financial crisis about it, where the initial situation was caused by handing too much control to seemingly infallible computer systems (arguably as a way of abdicating responsibility, or perhaps more accurately taking power out of the hands of the many and 'consolidating' it into those of a few who would have already been incapable of competently handling even a fraction of that responsibility. Which may perhaps end up being the underlying theme of the our age) that was then only compounded by human behavioural failings being laid on top of that initial error. So instead of 'double the oversight' you get the worst of both worlds, as any safeguards cancel each other out.

Richard Linklater's feature-length death penalty doc "Hometown Prison" will be available on Max February 27th with works by Alex Stapleton and Iliana Sosa in the Lawrence Wright-inspired docuseries God Save Texas.

Apple TV’s “The New Look” starring Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior, Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel, and John Malkovich as Lucien Lelong. Unfortunately not about clothing at all but about what these figures did during WWII. Unfortunately no shared scenes between Mendelsohn and Binoche until about 30 seconds at the end of the third episode. Unfortunately directed without a stitch of imagination and irritatingly shot with tight framing and handheld cameras. Typical Apple TV well-heeled and deadly dull late prestige TV production.

FX’s “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans” fares better, with Tom Hollander giving the best performance so far of the several portrayals of Capote in the last couple decades. As such a singular figure, impersonation of Capote will always be 90% of the role, but Hollander also manages to modulate the broadness of Capote into small gestures and looks more suitable to screen acting. He’s playing at exactly the right pitch for the show. His occasional scenes with Jessica Lange, playing his dead mother, are electrifying. Somewhat less so with Naomi Watts playing Babe Paley. She’s excellent, but is performing in a slightly different, more naturalistic register. The rest of the “Swans” — Chloe Sevigny, Diane Lane, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, et al — range from decent to unremarkable. Gus van Sant’s direction is quite good in the first couple episodes, keeping a cool and reserved tone no unlike Todd Haynes’ in May December.

Interestingly, the third episode is entirely a documentary of the first of Capote’s famous Black and White Balls as it might have been made by the Maysles. Sadly, no one really seems to have studied how that would look because it does not resemble anything the Maysles ever made so much as a faux reality show like “Parks and Recreation” or “Abbott Elementary” with the clumsy zooms and constant reframing and refocusing of that affected style.

The show is better than most Ryan Murphy productions. The general rule of thumb is that the less he is involved with showrunning, writing, and directing, the better it is, and that is the case here. But every minute I watch these shows I curse myself for not watching something better.

I think the underutilization of Mendelsohn's talents since his McConaughey-era renaissance period, where he was still wedged into primarily smaller supporting parts, is one of America's most glaring flubs with actors in recent memory. I still consider his perf in the first season of Bloodline to be one of the best I've ever seen, and I was not aware that artists were capable of squeezing all life from such an organically vibrant performer until I saw Rogue One. Who casts the scariest, slimiest working actor in a villain role in a Star Wars movie in the 21st century and then says, 'hey let's just make him like every other one of these banal middle-manager villains?' (and then go out of its way to try to be 'unique' and get defended as such forever..)

I’m here to tell you that you can believe the hype about “Shōgun,” at least the first two available episodes. It’s well-made, well-acted, and engaging. It uses the Clavell book as a template, but is perhaps more knowledgeable and respectful of Japanese history and culture.

Cosmo Jarvis (marvelous name, born even more marvelously as Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan Jarvis), who you might remember from Lady Macbeth and who plays the English pirate Blackthorne, sounds eerily exactly like Richard Burton. The always charming Tadanobu Asano is here in a main role, as is veteran actor Hiroyuki Sanada.

Matt wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 11:22 pmCosmo Jarvis (marvelous name)

I'm also really enjoying Shōgun. I've been in a dry spell lately with TV so I'm glad to have this to really dive into. I haven't read the novel but it's a fascinating counterpart to Scorsese's adaptation of Silence. I love how the series is exploring the Japanese being confronted head-on with Western colonialism, learning of the immediate threat that Europe as a whole makes up and just how many "Portuguese" there are out there vying for world dominance.

Spoiler

The scene in Episode 2 where Blackthorne describes how the Portuguese and Spanish divided up the world between them is the best moment of TV I've seen this year. The line "Did he really say 'belongs'?" was chilling.

Matt wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 3:50 am Apple TV’s “The New Look”... Unfortunately not about clothing at all

Actually there was quite a lot about clothing in the 70% or more of it that aired after the date you submitted your review.

therewillbeblus wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 4:16 am I think the underutilization of Mendelsohn's talents since his McConaughey-era renaissance period, where he was still wedged into primarily smaller supporting parts, is one of America's most glaring flubs with actors in recent memory.

He just gave one of my favorite performances of all time (film or tv) in The New Look. He does so much here without broadly announcing it. A subtle silent genius. Unfortunately 99% of viewers will probably miss it.

Since the topic of The New Look has been brought back up, I'd like to add that the series becomes much more visually coherent once creator Todd A. Kessler is removed from the director's chair (which happens following the second episode). Subsequent directors like Helen Shaver and Jeremy Podeswa demonstrate a much better skill at blocking and camera position; nothing fancy, but nothing that distracts in the way that the first two episodes did with the overuse of close-ups and the continuous breaking of the 180 degree rule.

The drama loses steam in the middle episodes following the end of WWII, but has a satisfying conclusion where the emphasis is, indeed, on the clothing.

Maybe I’ll give it another go once I’ve caught up on other things. Thanks for the update!

I will probably be binging “Ripley” this weekend, and I’ll be very disappointed indeed if it doesn’t live up to its promise.

Adult Swim’s adaptation of Uzumaki finally arrives after years of production delays

Murdoch wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:04 pm I'm also really enjoying Shōgun. I've been in a dry spell lately with TV so I'm glad to have this to really dive into. I haven't read the novel but it's a fascinating counterpart to Scorsese's adaptation of Silence. I love how the series is exploring the Japanese being confronted head-on with Western colonialism, learning of the immediate threat that Europe as a whole makes up and just how many "Portuguese" there are out there vying for world dominance.

Spoiler

The scene in Episode 2 where Blackthorne describes how the Portuguese and Spanish divided up the world between them is the best moment of TV I've seen this year. The line "Did he really say 'belongs'?" was chilling.

I wondered why this had not been mentioned yet, next to Ripley, this has been my favourite new TV series this year. The penultimate episode was more edge-of-your-seat than any movie I've seen this year

English Teacher (FX/Hulu) is only a few eps in, but it's already a well-observed commentary on the current zeitgeist in overly empowered youth. I was drawn to it by the involvement of Paul Simms, and the creative juices and high joke ratio has his fingerprints all over it. The main cast is engaging and I like how the obvious direction of the plot is frontloaded immediately into the season, much like how Dave and Lisa's romance was in NewsRadio by design. Too early to throw superlatives, but well worth checking out. I'm especially interested in how our former/current teachers on this board will react to it.

With the 4th and final season of My Brillant Friend currently airing on HBO, I'm taking the opportunity to watch the whole series and I'm just getting to the end of season 2. This is a pretty remarkable drama series and it's a shame it doesn't seem to be in the conversation more or up for awards. For one thing, it's one of the most expensive-looking shows I've ever seen, especially when you consider that at its heart it's a character study of female friendship, the sort of thing that's usually the subject of small indie movies. It shows you something Mad Men never had the budget for: busy street scenes in the 50s and 60s, in multiple locations, with hundreds of extras in period costume and vintage cars. The period detail is so spot on, it really feels like something from the past. They've also built one of the biggest sets ever for a TV production, recreating an entire working-class neighbourhood in Naples, and the fact that you can tell it's a set here and there (the plaster doesn't look like concrete up close) makes it all the more impressive.

The other thing that stands out is the two extraordinary lead actresses Margherita Mazzucco and Gaia Girace. They center this series and hold your attention, and the most remarkable thing is that they were in their mid-teens when they were cast, and both give incredibly shaded, multifaceted performances. I understand they are playing the characters into their 30s by season 3, and get replaced for seasos 4 by two actresses in their 40s (Alba Rohrwacher and Irene Maiorino). Two child actors with striking likeness to their later incarnations play them in the first two episodes. Around our two heroines there unfolds a sprawling family saga, think The Godfather movies, but here the mafia is in the background and the main characters are two girls who would have been extras at the opening wedding of the Coppola epic. While the gangster element is mostly the backdrop, the corruption and violence that men are capable of is a constant presence.

It says something about the esteem in which Elena Ferrante's novels (which I have not read) are held that so much care and expense has been lavished on this.

I’m two episodes into Apple’s lavish new series “Disclaimer” written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Cate Blanchett is reliably excellent, Kevin Kline is delightfully chewing the scenery as usual, and it looks fantastic thanks to cinematography by BOTH Emmanuel Lubezki and Bruno Delbonnel. But as with so many Apple TV productions it’s a beautiful corpse, exquisitely art-directed to death, and most notable for how much money seems to have been thrown at it.

There is so much clumsy exposition, often delivered by a far-out-of his depth Sacha Baron Cohen as Blanchett’s husband in a very distracting wig. I know he is talented and yearns to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor, but I keep expecting him to turn to the camera and refer to Blanchett as “my wiiiife.” The curse of being known for an indelible comedic character.

I’ll probably stick with it because it’s only 7 episodes and seems to have interesting things to say about narrative and point-of-view. Also, Blanchett never disappoints—there is a scene where she plays her character as 10 years younger and it’s shockingly convincing. I expect there’s a little de-aging applied, but it’s more about the way she carries her body and her gestures. She’s so clearly in a league of her own. That scene is played against Lesley Manville, and it’s the highlight of the show so far, two acting titans doing incredible character work just sitting across a cafe table from one another.

therewillbeblus wrote:English Teacher (FX/Hulu)

I’m finding it maddeningly inconsistent. The core cast of Brian Jordan Alvarez, Enrico Colantini (enjoying a well-deserved career renaissance), the marvelous Stephanie Koenig, and (especially) Sean Patton are excellent, with their almost Hawksian banter and camaraderie, and then there is…everyone else. And only 7 episodes in, they’re already relying on “wacky” one-episode characters to drive the (rather pleasantly thin) plots. One of these was unexpectedly great—a meddlesome parent played by Jenn Lyon—but another, who seems to be turning into a running joke on the show, was insanely grating and unfunny. I worry that it’s going to become less character-driven and more like a tennis ball launcher stuck on high speed spitting gag after gag just hoping one lands, like “30 Rock” at its worst. I want to see the show get even better in its second season, like “Parks & Rec,” and not start chasing its own tail (like with the possible intra-office romances that they’re already threatening).

Speaking of Apple TV, I recently watched the Vince Vaughn black comedy/crime drama series, Bad Monkey, produced by Bill Lawrence, which was far more enjoyable than I expected. Vaughn still has plenty of charisma, which counts for a lot, and he can make a lot out of the material.

Matt wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 4:21 am

therewillbeblus wrote:English Teacher (FX/Hulu)

I’m finding it maddeningly inconsistent.

Yeah, the show lost me shortly after I posted - there are a few good eps and plenty of funny moments dispersed throughout even the lesser ones, but I don't see it getting renewed or really going anywhere interesting if it does. The season finale was awful.

I have now watched all four seasons of My Brilliant Friend and would rate it as one of the best drama series I have ever seen. Maybe they should have changed the cast by Season 3, because when they finally do in Season 4, going from actors in their twenties to actors in their fifties (in the case of several of the male characters) without much time having passed in the narrative, is too much of a leap. However, I can understand why they stuck with their two leads for so long, they are just that good. Max Richter (with a little help from Vivaldi) contributes one of the best scores for a TV series that I can think of.

After immersing myself in a series that has been running for several years and enjoying a good family epic, I thought I'd give Yellowstone a try to see what all the fuss is about. I bailed halfway through the feature-length pilot, any show that makes me dislike Kelly Reilly has to be considered a failure. I didn't expect another My Brilliant Friend but the writing of the 50 minutes I watched was atrocious.

The Senna mini-series on Netflix.

Review: Vamos! Vroooom vroooom vroom....whoosh whooosh whhhhhhoooooosh…. scrrreeeeech.....roaaaaaaarr.... vrrooooom whooooooosh…..

Whoooooooshhhh… ... .... .... Cheering!

Rating: Five stars.

And everyone excited about the Arrow Cruising 4K Special Edition should check out this series because Senna wins a lot and each time he wins he drives a victory lap where he sticks his arm up and out of his cockpit from his fingers to his elbow and makes a fist.