What do you think of these tv shows?

..and why not?
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The Modernist
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What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby The Modernist » 20 Jul 2017, 21:02

Ripper Street

Peaky Blinders

Boardwalk Empire

The Line of Duty

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby Rayge » 20 Jul 2017, 21:52

I've never watched Peaky Blinders, and saw only a few eps of Boardwalk Empire (liked what I saw).
And I still have not seen series one of either of the others, but have followed both from the second series on. I enjoy Ripper Street as a modern crime drama, which gave up on historical accuracy in favour of racy plotting and grand guignol a while back, but is none the worse for that as far as I am concerned. Melodrama and Victoriana are, after all. inextricably linked in British culture, and setting a policier in the past allows (as in Life on Mars and Inspector George Gently) for some ripe behavioiur from the cops.
Line of Duty, though, the only one of the four set in the modern day, is a cut above, and it's use of dramatic set pieces, especially interviews is just as effective as the visceral physical violence of Ripper Street in resolving conflicts. The casting is better, too, with no nonsense like the ex-Pinkerton drunken doctor and forensic scientist avant la lettre that you have to swallow in Ripper Street, presumably in an attempt to sell it to the USA.

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby naughty boy » 20 Jul 2017, 21:58

Boardwalk Empire is very good. Haven't seen the others.
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby clive gash » 20 Jul 2017, 22:03

Boardwalk Empire was underwhelming, a huge waste of resources (actors). Killing off *spoiler* Michael Pitt kneecapped it, compounded by Michael Shannon getting sidelined. Only the godlike Bobby Cannavale enlivened it after that.

Line of Duty I like, but I can't bear the 'acting' skills of Compston (low talker).
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby Dayodead » 20 Jul 2017, 22:11

Loved 'Boardwalk Empire' and wish it would have continued ...(It was way too expensive to last more than five seasons, though...) Have not seen the others mentioned ....

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby The Modernist » 20 Jul 2017, 22:43

The Savage Young Gash wrote: Only the godlike Bobby Cannavale enlivened it after that.


He gave one of the most compelling tv performances I've ever seen in that.

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby martha » 20 Jul 2017, 23:18

Ripper Street - I saw two episodes but Jeff wasn't in the mood for it so we held off on watching it for a bit and then just lost interest and never resumed it. At the time our viewing schedule was really full... and a lot of new stuff came out all at once. I think we had just started watching Copper, Hell on Wheels, Moone Boy, Southland, Blacklist, Grimm, Orange is the New Black and House of Cards -- all of which we gave up on entirely in favor of comedies like Bob's Burgers, Archer, Veep, Always Sunny, Key and Peele, Parks and Rec, Community, finishing off shows we were into like Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Doctor Who, and starting new stuff we loved like Justified, Game of Thrones, Rectify, Orphan Black, Fargo and a mess of absolutely great anime programs from Japan... So Ripper Street just had too much competition for us and ceased to be of interest with all that competing for our attention. I'll revisit it perhaps later. It seemed fine as did House of Cards.

Peaky Blinders - Never seen.

Boardwalk Empire - Jeff and I were really enjoying it before they killed off the guy who looks like my kid brother (Michael Pitt). We were still interested in it but when the next season started we moved and we ended up not re-upping with cable. It's been free on Amazon for us for ages and we added it to our queue, but I haven't bothered to catch up on it. I enjoyed the season or two I saw of it though.

The Line of Duty - Haven't seen it. I used to really enjoy British cop shows, but police procedurals aren't my thing of late.
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby copehead » 21 Jul 2017, 05:03

The Modernist wrote:Ripper Street


Enjoy it, a bit hokey, find the need for a "Yank" in it a bit annoying. Got the current series on my Sky box to watch when i have time

Peaky Blinders


Never watched it, assumed it was crap, appears I was wrong.

Boardwalk Empire


Haven't seen the final series, but was finding it a struggle by then anyway, the woman from Trainspotting was starting to become a pain
The Line of Duty


never seen it
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby The Modernist » 21 Jul 2017, 09:16

You should check out The Line of Duty. I don't think anyone would fail to be gripped by it.

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby Darkness_Fish » 21 Jul 2017, 09:51

Never seen any of them. But I thought it was important that my voice be heard on this subject.
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby The Modernist » 21 Jul 2017, 10:14

Ripper Street - I didn't see the first series and have only watched selected episodes since. This has left me with a feeling of catch up and general incomprehension when it comes to the plot. It doesn't help that a couple of characters speak in a low growl and I have major problems understanding them. Yet its so richly atmospheric visually that I persist and quite enjoy it, although obviously I'd enjoy it a lot more if I knew what was going on.

Boardwalk Empire - Its strengths were its richly evocative art design, so sumptuous that you just immersed yourself in the period, and some very strong performances. Weaknesses - At times tried to balance too many storylines, not all of which were successful. I agree seasons two and three were real high points and it tailed off after that. Hit amd miss though it was, it did feel like event television.

Peaky Blinders - I was a bit suspicious of this initially, then really got into it, largely because it's so well written. It does have its tacky side -some of its slo-mo visuals and use of rock music can get a bit MTV. The first series was good, though at times a little cliched. It really took in the second with some brilliantly written plots. After the superb second series, I was a little disappointed in the third, largely because I never warmed to the convoluted 'white Russian' storyline. However writer Steven Knight really turned things around with a fiendishly clever last episode which was as gripping as anything I've seen, Looking forward to the new series.

The Line of Duty - This is the jewel in the crown as far as I'm concerned and can compete with anything from the world. I don't think there's anyone better than Jed Mercurio when it comes to crafting gripping situations that have you guessing and on the edge of your seat. A couple of gripes - so complex and clever is the plotting that it does sometimes seem to confuse even itself, leaving loose ends. Furthermore, the climaxes of each last episode of each series have sometimes gone too over the top undermining the realism it established. But these are minor gripes when you're getting tv drama as gripping as anything I've seen.

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby Dr Markus » 21 Jul 2017, 12:22

The Savage Young Gash wrote:Killing off *spoiler* Michael Pitt.


Does anyone rate Michael Pitt? I don't think he's up to much.
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby Samoan » 21 Jul 2017, 13:32

The most recent Line Of Duty was well below par. Mercurio's cooked his goose.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=134248
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby The Modernist » 21 Jul 2017, 13:42

Samoan wrote:The most recent Line Of Duty was well below par. Mercurio's cooked his goose.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=134248


Just read the thread -everyone seems to have really enjoyed it!

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby The Modernist » 21 Jul 2017, 13:46

For me they go series 2/3 (so superb I can't separate them), 4, 1.

I put 1 last but it was still thoroughly enjoyable with a great performance from Lennie James.

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby Penk! » 21 Jul 2017, 13:46

I've never seen Peaky Blinders or Line of Duty. I'd certainly like to see the latter but it is unfortunately not available on any streaming services in Sweden. The state broadcaster SVT did seemingly have it some time ago, but their rights presumably ran out.

I remember seeing the pilot of Ripper Street and quite enjoying it, for the atmosphere and production design rather than the rather rote plot and dialogue. I could be convinced to watch more - I think it is on Netflix - if someone said that the overall quality got better, as I do like a bit of grimy Victorian stuff.

I watched the long pilot episode of Boardwalk Empire twice and both times thought it excellent. I never made it more than three or four episodes further in, though, as things seemed to tail off so steeply into yet-another-period-gangster-thing territory and I lost interest. I don't expect to go back to it again, really. I've seen it all so many times before.
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby The Modernist » 21 Jul 2017, 13:48

The Great Defector wrote:
The Savage Young Gash wrote:Killing off *spoiler* Michael Pitt.


Does anyone rate Michael Pitt? I don't think he's up to much.


I thought he was good in BE, don't know if I've seen him in anything else.

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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby Moleskin » 21 Jul 2017, 21:22

I've seen the first season of 'Boardwalk Empire' and thought it was pretty good.
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby sloopjohnc » 21 Jul 2017, 23:50

Boardwalk Empire is the only one I've seen. A favorite.
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Re: What do you think of these tv shows?

Postby The Modernist » 22 Jul 2017, 00:06

K wrote:
The Modernist wrote:For me they go series 2/3 (so superb I can't separate them), 4, 1.

I put 1 last but it was still thoroughly enjoyable with a great performance from Lennie James.

Watch 1 again after series 4. So many links!


Actually I watched it on dvd just prior to 4 coming out so it was all very fresh in my mind. I still think it's marginally weaker than the other three - some of its attempts at social commentary were a bit clumsy ( the kid gangster and so on).


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