Hello chaps and chapesses!
I'm not usually that bothered about watching TV. If I'm at home on my own, I'll often put the radio or some music on rather than watching a bit of telly. Recently, though, I've found myself changing my ways, as there's been so much good stuff on.
We're at the end of the summer, and it's that time of year when the Good Programmes start making an appearance. I'm thinking of Downton Abbey, Strictly Come Dancing, and of course, The Great British Bake Off.
Here's what I've been loving on the gogglebox over the last few weeks:
A historical drama, based on Phillipa Gregory's trilogy of novels called The Cousins' War. It tells the story of the battle for the throne of England during the War of the Roses, from the perspective of some of the most influential women of the time. The series has been a bit slated for having some props and details that aren't quite historically accurate (manicured nails and brushed chrome handrails on the stairs, for instance), but I really enjoyed it. As a drama it was entertaining and kept me interested throughout. I like that it was history from the women's perspective - so often stories like these focus on the major battles and laws that were passed, and skim over the actual people who were involved. It got me interested in the story of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower as well, so I'm planning to read some more about these. A TV show that makes me want to go and learn more about something has to be good, right?
Another historical one, set at Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire, which isn't too far from my little neck of the woods. It's about the young apprentices who worked at the mill in the 1830s, around the time of the Industrial Revolution, when workers were starting to take things into their own hands and stand up for their rights. I found this one a little bit slow to begin with, and it was very dark, serious and gritty, but what kept me interested was the fact that it was based on the real stories of the real people who actually worked at the mill. There were only four episodes, which is a shame, but I heard a rumour that there's going to be another series, yay! I'm also now intrigued to find out more about Quarry Bank Mill, and maybe go up there and explore - I think they have a museum there these days. Another show that's inspired me to expand my mind - thank you tellyland!
This was ace. Set in a fictional coastal English town, it centres around a series of shootings carried out by a local man. It looks at what might have caused this guy to do this, and the effect it has on local residents. The subject matter was quite harrowing, as it called to mind similar events in Cumbria and Northumbria in the last few years, but it was done really sensitively. The way it was filmed was just great - I'm not an expert on these things but the way it had been put together was brilliant, and really added to the drama and emotion. If you haven't already, watch it - you'll see what I mean.
Graeme is a huge fan of the books, and spent a lot of the first season of this pausing the DVD to explain some background info about the characters that had been missed out. He's on a mission to get me to read the books for myself, but right now I'm happy to just enjoy this as a TV show. As the series have progressed it's gotten more and more epic, and I'm enjoying the pseudo-historical feel of it. There are several strands and plotlines, with a LOT of characters, but I think they've got the balance right with this. There are enough different strands so that there's a storyline to appeal to everyone, but you still get enough time with all the characters to get to know them and want to root for them. Does that make sense? I'm looking forward to the next season, but I'm still not tempted to read the books (sorry Graeme!)
This is a guilty pleasure. It's indulgent and a little bit trashy, but enjoyable as long as you remember the golden rule - "some scenes are created for your entertainment". Whereas some of the other shows I've mentioned above have inspired me to go out and learn more about something, MIC allows me to switch my brain off altogether and just enjoy watching the rich and beautiful get together, break up and bitch about each other in expensive clothes and swanky bars. I think the new series is starting fairly soon - I can't wait!
As a baking enthusiast, I love GBBO. As The Experts, Paul and Mary have some brill baking tips, and there's a great chemistry between them; Mel and Sue provide some chuckles and some interesting little background information about the cake/biscuit/bread/pie featured in each episode; and I always, always get to the end of the programme feeling inspired to bake something myself. After I watched them making French fancies in one of last year's episodes, I went and made a giant one for Graeme's birthday. It had 3 layers of sponge, a LOT of buttercream, and it took me 5 hours to make, but it was pretty awesome.
This is another guilty pleasure. The premise is simple - give a groom-to-be £12,000 and 3 weeks to plan a wedding, and don't let the bride-to-be anywhere near it until the wedding day. It all depends on the couple featured in each particular episode, but I always enjoy it. Sometimes you get a real Bridezilla who throws massive tantrums and refuses to wear the dress that's been picked out for her; sometimes you get a really Laddy groom who spends most of the budget on an extravagant stag do in Vegas; but most of the time you get couples who are quite sweet and just want to be man and wife. Cute!
There have also been quite a few other series on that I haven't managed to watch (only 24 hours in a day, after all...) like Broadchurch, The Returned and The Killing, but I have big plans to get the box sets of these on Lovefilm. What with this and all the new series that'll be coming back in the autumn (Downton, Strictly, the list goes on) at least I know I won't be bored when I'm cooped up at home on cold, rainy evenings.
Do you find yourself watching loads of telly at certain times of year, more so than others? What are your favourite TV shows? Do you have any recommendations for me?
No comments:
Post a Comment