We’re watching Small Prophets on iPlayer (have a TV licence but not a TV), and rationing ourselves to an episode a day. It very much reminds me of some Diana Wynne Jones, particularly The Ogre Downstairs, which I re-borrowed from the library as a young step-mum.
Just started watching. I think it will be quite good. Comedy? Maybe, not not primarily. Humourous drama, maybe.
Hi guys,
many thanks for the positive feedback. Perhaps I'm being a curmudgeonly old scroat. Mrs RR says I should engage my empathy (?) and give it another go. T'will, after all, be an escape from the wretched Olympics.
Managed to get hold of a DVD of Andor - it's a bit bleaker and more gritty than Star Wars usually is, but the story is pulling me in, and it's nice to see Adria Arjona as the mechanic. I'd previously only seen her as Anathema Device in Good Omens.
That reminds me--I really want to keep progressing through the Star Wars saga, which I'm doing in chronological order by story--I'm currently in Bad Batch, but now there are stories set earlier like Young Jedi Adventures and Acolyte which have come out that are set earlier than where I am in the timeline, so I want to watch those as well.
(For the Marvel movies, I'm watching them in release order, though I'm letting myself see some things, especially certain TV shows, out of that order.)
We watched the first episode of Small Prophets tonight and enjoyed it in a small way. Interesting comparison with Diana Wynne Jones @mrs whibley. A similar mix of the everyday ordinary and the supernatural.
We watched the first episode of Small Prophets tonight and enjoyed it in a small way. Interesting comparison with Diana Wynne Jones @mrs whibley. A similar mix of the everyday ordinary and the supernatural.
I think it has some possibilities. As yet unconvinced, but will continue watching (I did get to the end of "Can you keep a Secret" which was totally not worth it).
I'm enjoying Small Prophets. For some reason it reminds me of a (more magical-realist) Beiderbecke Affair - maybe deadpan humour, bleak setting, air of mystery. And @Doublethink , I really enjoyed 'wake up dead man'. Did you spot the quick blast of Larry Norman playing in the background at the bar when they visit to find out where those small 'sculptures' came from? I especially enjoyed the bit where the (good) priest is fleeing the undead, and stops to take a pastoral phone call. The whole thing was sensitive and sympathetic, and I thought took pains to identify sheep and goats in what I imagine (/read / listen) to be the current US church scene.
The other day, a friend and I ended up binging the entire 10 episode season of The Lincoln Lawyer in one night. We were up til 8 am the next day. But it was worth it. Love that show!
My Star Trek watching friend has admitted to having only ever seen the first Star Wars movie - so we're going to rectify that in the near future! I mentioned I'd got the Andor series to watch, and I think she's going to be a bit adrift if she hasn't seen a bit more than A New Hope.
We caught the 1939 version of Wuthering Heights, with Olivier and Merle Oberon. I enjoyed it a lot, very romantic and hammy, as you would expect. The second half chopped off, as usual. Now dare I go to the Fennell?
Mrs. Gramps and I are watching The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix. For the uninitiated, the lawyer happens to like Lincoln cars. He had previously been disbarred due to becoming a coke addict but has been reinstated with the court's supervision. Presents a number of ethical challenges over the course of the series. It is interesting how he is able to resolve the dilemmas he finds himself dealing with.
One negative comment. I think it has to do with the production of the series. He never wears a seatbelt when he is either driving or being driven. Also tends to leave the top of his Lincoln convertible down when he is in a supposedly sketchy neighborhood.
As is probably the case with most couples, there are things that my wife and I both like to watch, things she likes to watch but I don’t, and things I like to watch but she doesn’t. That last category includes anything with blood or violence, as well as fantasy and superhero movies and shows.
I guess because of Life and Obligations, as well as maybe some reluctance based on not wanting to be disappointed (like I was with the 2023 movie), I never watched or got into “The Flash” when it was on from 2014–23, which is a bit surprising since the Flash was my favorite superhero when I was a kid. (I loved Superman and Batman, and Robin, but I wanted to be the Flash.) So, over the last however long, I’ve been watching all 184 episodes (plus crossovers with other Arrowverse shows) when I had a chance for the tv to myself. (Ah, retirement!)
I confess to being surprised at just how much I liked it, even in later seasons when the plots maybe went off the rails a little. Even more surprising was just how much it affected me, tapping into young me in an almost therapeutic way—not what I expect from a tv show. It’s something I’m still processing, and may be for a while.
As is probably the case with most couples, there are things that my wife and I both like to watch, things she likes to watch but I don’t, and things I like to watch but she doesn’t. That last category includes anything with blood or violence, as well as fantasy and superhero movies and shows.
I guess because of Life and Obligations, as well as maybe some reluctance based on not wanting to be disappointed (like I was with the 2023 movie), I never watched or got into “The Flash” when it was on from 2014–23, which is a bit surprising since the Flash was my favorite superhero when I was a kid. (I loved Superman and Batman, and Robin, but I wanted to be the Flash.) So, over the last however long, I’ve been watching all 184 episodes (plus crossovers with other Arrowverse shows) when I had a chance for the tv to myself. (Ah, retirement!)
I confess to being surprised at just how much I liked it, even in later seasons when the plots maybe went off the rails a little. Even more surprising was just how much it affected me, tapping into young me in an almost therapeutic way—not what I expect from a tv show. It’s something I’m still processing, and may be for a while.
Which Flash did you grow up with--Barry Allen or Wally West? (I mean, who was the main Flash in the comic series, since there are others, especially Jay Garrick.)
As is probably the case with most couples, there are things that my wife and I both like to watch, things she likes to watch but I don’t, and things I like to watch but she doesn’t. That last category includes anything with blood or violence, as well as fantasy and superhero movies and shows.
I guess because of Life and Obligations, as well as maybe some reluctance based on not wanting to be disappointed (like I was with the 2023 movie), I never watched or got into “The Flash” when it was on from 2014–23, which is a bit surprising since the Flash was my favorite superhero when I was a kid. (I loved Superman and Batman, and Robin, but I wanted to be the Flash.) So, over the last however long, I’ve been watching all 184 episodes (plus crossovers with other Arrowverse shows) when I had a chance for the tv to myself. (Ah, retirement!)
I confess to being surprised at just how much I liked it, even in later seasons when the plots maybe went off the rails a little. Even more surprising was just how much it affected me, tapping into young me in an almost therapeutic way—not what I expect from a tv show. It’s something I’m still processing, and may be for a while.
Which Flash did you grow up with--Barry Allen or Wally West? (I mean, who was the main Flash in the comic series, since there are others, especially Jay Garrick.)
I grew up with Barry Allen. (I was born in the early 60s.) Wally West—Iris’s nephew, rather than her brother as in the tv show—was Kid Flash
As is probably the case with most couples, there are things that my wife and I both like to watch, things she likes to watch but I don’t, and things I like to watch but she doesn’t. That last category includes anything with blood or violence, as well as fantasy and superhero movies and shows.
I guess because of Life and Obligations, as well as maybe some reluctance based on not wanting to be disappointed (like I was with the 2023 movie), I never watched or got into “The Flash” when it was on from 2014–23, which is a bit surprising since the Flash was my favorite superhero when I was a kid. (I loved Superman and Batman, and Robin, but I wanted to be the Flash.) So, over the last however long, I’ve been watching all 184 episodes (plus crossovers with other Arrowverse shows) when I had a chance for the tv to myself. (Ah, retirement!)
I confess to being surprised at just how much I liked it, even in later seasons when the plots maybe went off the rails a little. Even more surprising was just how much it affected me, tapping into young me in an almost therapeutic way—not what I expect from a tv show. It’s something I’m still processing, and may be for a while.
Which Flash did you grow up with--Barry Allen or Wally West? (I mean, who was the main Flash in the comic series, since there are others, especially Jay Garrick.)
I grew up with Barry Allen. (I was born in the early 60s.) Wally West—Iris’s nephew, rather than her brother as in the tv show—was Kid Flash
Cool! I was born in 1967, so I also grew up with Barry Allen, but Wally became Flash for decades starting in 1985/6 after Crisis, and I think he was developed very well over the decades--and now they're both Flashes, plus Jay Garrick of course, and others, which I think is awesome. We really got to see Wally go from a younger kid to an older teen and then take on the legacy, and mature over time, and get married and have kids, and though he was gone due to Flashpoint in the New 52 (ick), he's back now and I'm very glad. Latest Flash issue is out today, in fact! And after this, Ryan North takes over the book, which will also be very good, in my view. Love Mark Waid too of course.
I recommend Small Prophets - the best TV show I've seen for a long time.
I agree wholeheartedly with this review -
If you liked Detectorists then you are going to love Small Prophets. It has the same gentle humour which reminds me of some of the comedies of my childhood. It stars the excellent Pearce Quigley, who is great in everything he is in. It is also wonderful to see Michael Palin acting again after years and years of his travel programmes. This is definitely one to watch.
I recommend Small Prophets - the best TV show I've seen for a long time.
I agree wholeheartedly with this review -
If you liked Detectorists then you are going to love Small Prophets. It has the same gentle humour which reminds me of some of the comedies of my childhood. It stars the excellent Pearce Quigley, who is great in everything he is in. It is also wonderful to see Michael Palin acting again after years and years of his travel programmes. This is definitely one to watch.
On these reccommendations Mrs RR and I have been giving Small Prophets a go and have now watched four of them. And no, We still don't 'get it'. We both really, really wanted to. What's wrong with us? Is it an age thing?
Can any shipmate explain what's going on?
I watched the first episode of Small Prophets last night. It wasn't gripping or laugh-out-loud funny but it had a very familiar quiet warmth to it that Detectorists had; if I hadn't already known it was a MacKenzie Crook creation, it had his tell-tale signature.
I recommend Small Prophets - the best TV show I've seen for a long time.
I agree wholeheartedly with this review -
If you liked Detectorists then you are going to love Small Prophets. It has the same gentle humour which reminds me of some of the comedies of my childhood. It stars the excellent Pearce Quigley, who is great in everything he is in. It is also wonderful to see Michael Palin acting again after years and years of his travel programmes. This is definitely one to watch.
On these reccommendations Mrs RR and I have been giving Small Prophets a go and have now watched four of them. And no, We still don't 'get it'. We both really, really wanted to. What's wrong with us? Is it an age thing?
Can any shipmate explain what's going on?
Only seen a couple, as it is broadcast, and from what I can see it is:
Man who has given up on everything after his partner vanished
His batty dad who seems to possibly have the surreal answer for him.
I don't know if there is more to it than that really.
I think I enjoyed the 'realist' bits more than the 'magical' bits, in the end - but it was usual in being a drama on telly which I was prepared to watch, so I suppose there's that.
I found a DVD in a charity shop of The Professionals, action adventure from the 1970s.
I have fond memories of Bodie and Doyle - my sister had a poster of them up in our bedroom.
I suspected that the series wouldn't have aged well, but it's better than I thought it would be. Not many decent female roles, but some interesting guest stars like Keith Barron and Richard Greene (1950s Robin Hood playing 1970s baddy!) and a sympathetic portrayal of a lesbian couple in one episode.
I have an episode of The Comic Strip Presents which is a spoof on British detective series through the decades, including Cody and Boyle IIRC. The episode is called Detectives on The Edge of a Nervous Breakdown. Eras also include Lord Peter Whimsey, The Sweeney, and the style current in 1982.
I missed Tales from the Green Valley when it was on TV, but recently picked up the DVD. It's a bunch of archaeologists living on a small farm in the style of the 17thC for a year, and it's absolutely charming, with lots of interesting information about the period and how things were done, too.
On these reccommendations Mrs RR and I have been giving Small Prophets a go and have now watched four of them. And no, We still don't 'get it'. We both really, really wanted to. What's wrong with us? Is it an age thing?
Can any shipmate explain what's going on?
It's gentle humour and a study in humanity with many clever references thrown in too. It's quirky and blends the mundane with the supernatural.
I've finished the latest of the Bridgerton series and enjoyed it. The music, the clothes, the dancing, all wonderful. It's not Jane Austen, but it is good fun!
I've now moved onto The Middle, I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed. I can see both myself and Mr Cheery in the Mike and Frankie characters, it does make me laugh.
I am also looking forward to a new series of Death in Paradise when it starts on Britbox next week and was very sad watching the latest episode of Call the Midwife, tissues required!
I’m really enjoying Batman Beyond. It’s set in the future (made in 1999, set 40 years later, so we’re jarringly closer in time now to the future year of 2039 than when it came out), when Batman has retired and become embittered, and winds up with a young protege who becomes the new Batman under his guidance.
Opening theme/intro (trippy! The series itself except for the opening is animated in the 1990s DC animated style):
With the launch of HBO Max in the UK next week, is anyone tempted to subscribe? I've not yet seen a full listing of what is available, but there are some shows I'm interested in.
I had a short lived subscription to Now TV a while back, but killed it because of how buggy and advert-ridden it was. So I would be keen catching the end of some shows I started.
I've finished the latest of the Bridgerton series and enjoyed it. The music, the clothes, the dancing, all wonderful. It's not Jane Austen, but it is good fun!
I've now moved onto The Middle, I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed. I can see both myself and Mr Cheery in the Mike and Frankie characters, it does make me laugh.
We’re halfway through the current season of Bridgerton, and I think I can say we’re enjoying it much more than we thought we would when we first learned how the basic storyline was going to go.
I’m really enjoying Batman Beyond. It’s set in the future (made in 1999, set 40 years later, so we’re jarringly closer in time now to the future year of 2039 than when it came out), when Batman has retired and become embittered, and winds up with a young protege who becomes the new Batman under his guidance.
Opening theme/intro (trippy! The series itself except for the opening is animated in the 1990s DC animated style):
That has long been a favorite series of mine (since, ummm, 1999, to be honest)! Have the complete series (including the Return of the Joker movie) on DVD. The Mr. Freeze episode, in particular, stays with me.
I’m really enjoying Batman Beyond. It’s set in the future (made in 1999, set 40 years later, so we’re jarringly closer in time now to the future year of 2039 than when it came out), when Batman has retired and become embittered, and winds up with a young protege who becomes the new Batman under his guidance.
Opening theme/intro (trippy! The series itself except for the opening is animated in the 1990s DC animated style):
That has long been a favorite series of mine (since, ummm, 1999, to be honest)! Have the complete series (including the Return of the Joker movie) on DVD. The Mr. Freeze episode, in particular, stays with me.
Oh yeah. Definitely poignant. Of course he always was…
Glad to read you are enjoying Bridgerton @Nick Tamen . I've also enjoyed the companion podcast on the tube of you and various other interviews with the cast and behind the scenes people. I am in awe of those who do the costumes, and was particularly amused by the contraption made for Penelope last season to keep the bottom of her wedding dress clean as she moved about of set while rehearsing. It was a long strip of fabric that she could hold up at the front and bring the back around to the front which had holes for her feet to go through, clever!!
I am loving the chance to rewatch The Middle especially as I watch Eden Sher and Brock's podcast Middling Pod on the same video sharing site and love their interviews with other cast members about particular episodes, it's really good fun too!
I've been going through Deep Space Nine episodes, two or three a week, with a friend (we've reached the end of season 3) and we came to the episodes with Evil Intendant Kira. I said she was just like Servalan from Blake's Seven - and my friend had never heard of Blake's Seven. She doesn't think it got to Ireland, where she grew up. So this week, in the break between seasons of DS9, I showed her the Blake's Seven episode Control, where Servalan and Travis set a trap for Blake. Nostalgia for me, and she seemed to enjoy it too.
I missed Tales from the Green Valley when it was on TV, but recently picked up the DVD. It's a bunch of archaeologists living on a small farm in the style of the 17thC for a year, and it's absolutely charming, with lots of interesting information about the period and how things were done, too.
The same team did Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm etc. They're great as well.
Small Prophets (series one(?)) has now ended. Am I the only one who couldn't bear it?
I was unable to connect with any of the characters and thought the plot, such as it was, feeble and nonsensical.
Oh well, back to 'Red Dwarf' series 1-6. There's a rumour that 'Blake's Seven' could be revived. Excellent!
Small Prophets (series one(?)) has now ended. Am I the only one who couldn't bear it?
I was unable to connect with any of the characters and thought the plot, such as it was, feeble and nonsensical.
Oh well, back to 'Red Dwarf' series 1-6. There's a rumour that 'Blake's Seven' could be revived. Excellent!
Small Prophets (series one(?)) has now ended. Am I the only one who couldn't bear it?
I was unable to connect with any of the characters and thought the plot, such as it was, feeble and nonsensical.
Oh well, back to 'Red Dwarf' series 1-6. There's a rumour that 'Blake's Seven' could be revived. Excellent!
The gentle humour and clever references keep coming for me. All the characters are ordinary, flawed human beings but portrayed so very well, with kindness and understanding.
I can't wait for the second series, if there is one.
So many themes to ponder -
The rising number of elderly in care homes/with dementia and how we love and care for them
The increasing physical and mental isolation of teenagers from their peers and society
People becoming slowly and subtly removed/disassociated from the natural world around them,focusing on only their own greed and consumption
Micromanagement of humans in workplaces, becoming machines
How much we really need each other - especially Brigham's comment about how gutted he would be if Michael left. Brigham, such a minor character who we all dismissed until that moment
How friendships can be between any age group, not just peers
How a little bit of unknown magic is a good thing in our lives
I found the Watership Down references especially poignant, as I read it as a young teenager and took it to heart. When Bright Eyes was played with the oil slick rabbit I had tears in my eyes.
Small Prophets (series one(?)) has now ended. Am I the only one who couldn't bear it?
I was unable to connect with any of the characters and thought the plot, such as it was, feeble and nonsensical.
Shows how different we all are! (As did Small Prophets!) 🌱
Comments
Just started watching. I think it will be quite good. Comedy? Maybe, not not primarily. Humourous drama, maybe.
many thanks for the positive feedback. Perhaps I'm being a curmudgeonly old scroat. Mrs RR says I should engage my empathy (?) and give it another go. T'will, after all, be an escape from the wretched Olympics.
I think it has some possibilities. As yet unconvinced, but will continue watching (I did get to the end of "Can you keep a Secret" which was totally not worth it).
One negative comment. I think it has to do with the production of the series. He never wears a seatbelt when he is either driving or being driven. Also tends to leave the top of his Lincoln convertible down when he is in a supposedly sketchy neighborhood.
I guess because of Life and Obligations, as well as maybe some reluctance based on not wanting to be disappointed (like I was with the 2023 movie), I never watched or got into “The Flash” when it was on from 2014–23, which is a bit surprising since the Flash was my favorite superhero when I was a kid. (I loved Superman and Batman, and Robin, but I wanted to be the Flash.) So, over the last however long, I’ve been watching all 184 episodes (plus crossovers with other Arrowverse shows) when I had a chance for the tv to myself. (Ah, retirement!)
I confess to being surprised at just how much I liked it, even in later seasons when the plots maybe went off the rails a little. Even more surprising was just how much it affected me, tapping into young me in an almost therapeutic way—not what I expect from a tv show. It’s something I’m still processing, and may be for a while.
Which Flash did you grow up with--Barry Allen or Wally West? (I mean, who was the main Flash in the comic series, since there are others, especially Jay Garrick.)
Cool! I was born in 1967, so I also grew up with Barry Allen, but Wally became Flash for decades starting in 1985/6 after Crisis, and I think he was developed very well over the decades--and now they're both Flashes, plus Jay Garrick of course, and others, which I think is awesome. We really got to see Wally go from a younger kid to an older teen and then take on the legacy, and mature over time, and get married and have kids, and though he was gone due to Flashpoint in the New 52 (ick), he's back now and I'm very glad. Latest Flash issue is out today, in fact! And after this, Ryan North takes over the book, which will also be very good, in my view. Love Mark Waid too of course.
I agree wholeheartedly with this review -
On these reccommendations Mrs RR and I have been giving Small Prophets a go and have now watched four of them. And no, We still don't 'get it'. We both really, really wanted to. What's wrong with us? Is it an age thing?
Can any shipmate explain what's going on?
Only seen a couple, as it is broadcast, and from what I can see it is:
Man who has given up on everything after his partner vanished
His batty dad who seems to possibly have the surreal answer for him.
I don't know if there is more to it than that really.
I have an episode of The Comic Strip Presents which is a spoof on British detective series through the decades, including Cody and Boyle IIRC. The episode is called Detectives on The Edge of a Nervous Breakdown. Eras also include Lord Peter Whimsey, The Sweeney, and the style current in 1982.
It's gentle humour and a study in humanity with many clever references thrown in too. It's quirky and blends the mundane with the supernatural.
I love a bit of whimsical weirdness!
I've now moved onto The Middle, I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed. I can see both myself and Mr Cheery in the Mike and Frankie characters, it does make me laugh.
I am also looking forward to a new series of Death in Paradise when it starts on Britbox next week and was very sad watching the latest episode of Call the Midwife, tissues required!
Opening theme/intro (trippy! The series itself except for the opening is animated in the 1990s DC animated style):
https://youtu.be/WS1s3T-rnFU?feature=shared
I had a short lived subscription to Now TV a while back, but killed it because of how buggy and advert-ridden it was. So I would be keen catching the end of some shows I started.
And I’m a big fan of The Middle!
That has long been a favorite series of mine (since, ummm, 1999, to be honest)! Have the complete series (including the Return of the Joker movie) on DVD. The Mr. Freeze episode, in particular, stays with me.
Oh yeah. Definitely poignant. Of course he always was…
I am loving the chance to rewatch The Middle especially as I watch Eden Sher and Brock's podcast Middling Pod on the same video sharing site and love their interviews with other cast members about particular episodes, it's really good fun too!
The same team did Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm etc. They're great as well.
I was unable to connect with any of the characters and thought the plot, such as it was, feeble and nonsensical.
Oh well, back to 'Red Dwarf' series 1-6. There's a rumour that 'Blake's Seven' could be revived. Excellent!
Not without Paul Darrow as Avon!
Nor Servillan!
The gentle humour and clever references keep coming for me. All the characters are ordinary, flawed human beings but portrayed so very well, with kindness and understanding.
I can't wait for the second series, if there is one.
So many themes to ponder -
The rising number of elderly in care homes/with dementia and how we love and care for them
The increasing physical and mental isolation of teenagers from their peers and society
People becoming slowly and subtly removed/disassociated from the natural world around them,focusing on only their own greed and consumption
Micromanagement of humans in workplaces, becoming machines
How much we really need each other - especially Brigham's comment about how gutted he would be if Michael left. Brigham, such a minor character who we all dismissed until that moment
How friendships can be between any age group, not just peers
How a little bit of unknown magic is a good thing in our lives
I found the Watership Down references especially poignant, as I read it as a young teenager and took it to heart. When Bright Eyes was played with the oil slick rabbit I had tears in my eyes.
Shows how different we all are! (As did Small Prophets!) 🌱