British Mystery! (spoiler, commercials, on tv, sitcoms)
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It does. I actually had the exact same reaction you did the first time I tried watching it. Luther was such an unlikeable a-hole that I didn't watch anything past the first episode. But people kept telling me to stick with it, so I went back and re-watched forced myself to watch several episodes.
It does improve substantially. Luther himself is not always likeable, but part of the show's appeal are the secondary characters, even the bad guys -- and bad girls.
Good to know for under general practice, once I buy a series.....I'm stuck with it.
One thing that struck me as particular or at least interesting, since England is a generally unarmed population, can they, the viewing audience, be that unfamiliar about guns that they can generally write anything into the story?
Good to know for under general practice, once I buy a series.....I'm stuck with it.
Try before you buy. Most libraries these days have a good selection of DVDs.
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Originally Posted by TamaraSavannah
One thing that struck me as particular or at least interesting, since England is a generally unarmed population, can they, the viewing audience, be that unfamiliar about guns that they can generally write anything into the story?
I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. But not living in England, I'm probably not qualified to answer anyway.
Try before you buy. Most libraries these days have a good selection of DVDs.
Most probably do......I just don't have that kind of access, either physically or in time.
Quote:
I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. But not living in England, I'm probably not qualified to answer anyway.
Well, he identifies the polymer frame as plastic and then associates that plastic burns. He focuses so much on the frame of a Glock 26, that the polymer will burn and melt.....and nothing is mentioned about the slide. Now, later, the barrel and spring are covered but again, nothing mentioned about the slide.
Then, there's how he so easily, so quickly, so thoughtlessly destroys Queen's property......but I'll let that one go.
Just started watching A Touch of Frost and am on Series 3. A while back I had a quick look and it didn't appeal to me so watched Endeavour instead - better looking leading man. Finished that and went back and now I'm hooked. It's free on youtube courtesy of opium's channel. He has lots of British shows
Just started watching A Touch of Frost and am on Series 3. A while back I had a quick look and it didn't appeal to me so watched Endeavour instead - better looking leading man. Finished that and went back and now I'm hooked. It's free on youtube courtesy of opium's channel. He has lots of British shows
I am half way, more or less, through Frost right now, just got done with Line of Fire and......putting it on the shelf for the time being. I am in new lands now, having gone past the ones I caught when it was on A&E, so I want to save what I have left.
As far as looks go....interesting thing on Frost when you think about it. Most of the male characters, who are the good guys, are sloppy, not much to look at. The exceptions are George who is not around much, Mullet who is the milk toast, and Clive who they dispatched. The women "good guys" characters are neat......and almost all WPCs in their sharp yet soft uniforms.
Now story wise, that isn't necessarily bad for one must remember they are watching a police show and it is sort of being like inside a Columbo world.....if you are the crook, you may be fooled into thinking you are much better than the coppers.
I've been watching "Shetland" on amazon prime (Britbox $2/month subscription -- one of those Prime Day specials!). LOVE Douglas Henshall and his character on the show (I'm on series 5 now). Much to my surprise, I can usually understand the Scottish accents (usually I have lots of trouble with it), although I always watch with captions on.
A lot of it is very sad to me -- which you don't see as often on American crime shows.
Overll, I LOVE British crime series; they appear to be less bound by the TV-show structure that constrains most American series (e.g., 42 minutes long, must have a cliffhanger every 10-15 minutes just before the commercial break, etc.). I've watched most of the ones listed in this thread and enjoyed them. OP, let us know which ones you got -- and enjoyed!
I've been watching "Shetland" on amazon prime (Britbox $2/month subscription -- one of those Prime Day specials!). LOVE Douglas Henshall and his character on the show (I'm on series 5 now). Much to my surprise, I can usually understand the Scottish accents (usually I have lots of trouble with it), although I always watch with captions on.
A lot of it is very sad to me -- which you don't see as often on American crime shows.
Overll, I LOVE British crime series; they appear to be less bound by the TV-show structure that constrains most American series (e.g., 42 minutes long, must have a cliffhanger every 10-15 minutes just before the commercial break, etc.). I've watched most of the ones listed in this thread and enjoyed them. OP, let us know which ones you got -- and enjoyed!
Morse
Frost
Lewis
Inspector Lynley
Vera
Endevour
Luther
Inspector Gently
DCI Banks
CB Strike
Foyle
Shetland
Cracker
I think that is all of them but there maybe others on the edge such as SS GB (one box) or those on the edge of interpretation of what is and what isn't such as Spooks and Dempsey&Makepeace.
I didn't go after Midsomer for a number of reasons. First of all, their DVDs don't come cheap and then, there is a serious question of quality in what is available. The other thing is that while I love the Barnaby family for their closeness, Barnaby and Troy's case solving, to me, seems like pure luck that just happens to happen at the end of the show.
Cadfael is another case of DVDs being far too expensive for the limited availability. Around here on the ranch, it can only be DVDs; there is no outside signal. I try to get the whole series if I can as well but if not then......and they went off, happily ever after, fighting evil in another dimension.
Dalgliesh, well, there is not enough on him and further, it depends who plays him. Loved him when Martin Shaw did him but not sure of any of the others.
Softly Softly Task Force? Between the lack of availability, the cost, and the appearance that so many shows (ie, Z Cars) made up this concept, I have decided to let the past just be on this one. The other thing is......that the library is getting stuffed!
Of the above list, the only one I don't like is Luther because, nutshell, he is still the hero despite being shown to be a domestic violencer.
I wasn't aware of the required format for American shows but that too would turn me off. Essentially for me for American shows, it was that knowing the law, I cringed all the time they broke it........and the audience cheered, so to speak.
Now, they may break it too in Brit shows but since I don't know that law, I can enjoy the show.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 12-18-2021 at 08:09 PM..
I wasn't aware of the required format for American shows but that too would turn me off. Essentially for me for American shows, it was that knowing the law, I cringed all the time they broke it........and the audience cheered, so to speak.
If you've ever watched a DVD of an American TV show (i.e. one that appeared on network TV, e.g. ABC, NBC, CBS) -- and I know you have! -- you can almost always tell where the commercial breaks were. That's what I meant by the "structure" of American TV shows. Note, now that amazon, Netflix, Hulu, etc. have their own shows, you don't see that because (a) they air without commercials on those services and (b) they can be varying lengths, e.g. the first episode might be 1:15, then the 2nd :58, the third 1:03, etc. You just didn't see that on network TV because of, well, the network constraints.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TamaraSavannah
Now, they may break [the law] too in Brit shows but since I don't know that law, I can enjoy the show.
I do see the law ignored sometimes on British shows, often with regard to searches (or maybe stretched rather than completely ignored). Probably not as often as on American shows, though.
Incidentally, I like the British version of Miranda better than ours; theirs includes a statement that "it may harm your defense if you fail to mention when questioned something you later rely on in court." In other words, don't make something up just before your trial and expect to get away with it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by TamaraSavannah
Morse
Frost
Lewis
Inspector Lynley
Vera
Endevour
Luther
Inspector Gently
DCI Banks
CB Strike
Foyle
Shetland
Cracker
There's also Wallander (both the British and Swedish versions), Young Wallander, The Fall (with Gillian Anderson), The Unforgotten, Hinterland and Hidden (both Welsh series, filmed completely in both Welsh and English), Broadchurch, and I'm sure a bunch more I'm forgetting. I will try to check my lists on BritBox and Acorn TV the next time I'm watching amazon.
Oh, and I liked "Luther" more than you do ... probably because I will take Idris Elba in just about anything!
It's really too bad you can't get streaming services at your ranch -- you would never run out of things to watch!
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-- you can almost always tell where the commercial breaks were. That's what I meant by the "structure" of American TV shows. Note, now that amazon, Netflix, Hulu, etc. have their own shows, you don't see that because (a) they air without commercials on those services and (b) they can be varying lengths, e.g. the first episode might be 1:15, then the 2nd :58, the third 1:03, etc. You just didn't see that on network TV because of, well, the network constraints.
