[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by Moogs Well that's both sad and understandable. Sad in the context of people used to get into fights and afterward let bygones be bygones. Everyone said their I'm sorries, learned their lesson and wore big boy pants so no one had to lose their job. Unless they did it a second time.

He admitted he was already "on a final warning" after a history of racist inappropriate language/behaviour

Originally Posted by Moogs However it's understandable in the sense of if you punch someone in a work environment these days (in earnest), you're toast. That pretty much qualifies the guy as an idiot or completely lacking in self discipline.

This.

His whole persona was the Neanderthal boorish "lad". He called himself a dinosaur on more than one occasion.

As I recall, when he and Producer Andy Wilmon pitched the relaunch of the show around the turn of the Millennium, their dream was to live out the fantasy life of their teenage 'club'... (minus the T & A presumably)... so they cast caricatures in Hamster and Captain Slow on a couch, while Jezza gets to sit in the best chair, race supercars, blow up and smash caravans, mock foreigners, etc. The BBC is supposed to be polite and proper, so pushing the boundaries of good taste was part of the shtick, and probably wouldn't have fed off that contrast if it were shown on any other broadcaster.

When it worked, it seemed to capture the "wish I could do that" dream of everyman... from power sliding a McLaren, to Macguyvering a car that wouldn't be allowed on most roads, to mixing Gin & Tonic behind the wheel while navigating Polar ice, to demolition Derby with caravans, to turning a Reliant Robin into a Space Shuttle (and launching it with rockets). Zany entertainment.

Went from a formerly cancelled dud of a motoring show about cars regular humans drive, to a frat party disguised as a factual review of an Enzo vs an Aston Martin. Biggest single cash cow the BBC has for overseas sales, in more than 200 countries & territories. Where they've licensed the format but replaced the stars (in America and Australia for example), it has never done as well or had the same reaction from audiences.

Which, sadly, can cause a Diva complex.

And the BBC has had, and continues to have, some issues with big stars ("Talent" as they're called, which probably doesn't help with the whole swollen ego thing) throwing their weight around and bullying production staff into getting whatever they want.

Some think part of the Management reaction to this episode was about sending a message that regardless of how golden the goose is, bullying is no longer going to be tolerated. They may have shot themselves in the foot and killed that goose, but they couldn't ignore behaviour that outrageous and unprofessional.

Originally Posted by Moogs What the fuck? Did he like punch the guy in the face or the chest or what? Ego much? How bad does your judgement and your view of yourself relative to the world have to be, to the point you yell for a half hour and punch someone at work over FOOD issues? Here I was picturing something manly like a big argument over a new style of production or what was on tap for next season / how to cover it. "No God damnit, we're not going to cover fucking cars with iWatch integration and driverless Google-pods with NSA-Assist ™!"

Allegedly, it was a half hour of expletive-filled abuse and threats to get the producer fired, then a punch in the face (which split his lip to the point that he took himself to Hospital), then more verbal abuse and threats.

The Producer who got punched never reported the incident.

Clarkson reported himself to Management the next day.

When the Producer was contacted by Management, he thought it was to tell him he'd been sacked.

It's a shame to lose the show (maybe it will surface somewhere else or in another form), but as Moogs says, you can't go punching coworkers.

And just think about the staff dynamics if he hadn't been fired... it would have either have been a nightmare, or a simmering pool of potential lawsuits against the corporation for condoning bullying in the workplace, etc.


** FULL DISCLOSURE ** I used to work for the BBC, but not in TV.

[Moogs]

That guy clearly needs some counselling or something. Anger management would be an understatement by the sounds of it.

Good stuff though Burb. Thanks for the info.

[turtle]

So Top Gear UK is gone because Clarkson was an ass? The others can't keep the show going without him? Interesting.

[curiousuburb]

The other hosts' contracts finish after this season anyway. They were up for renewal, but whether BBC makes any offers, or whether May and Hammond are interested are open questions.

Some other substitutes for Clarkson have been mooted, but it remains a mystery if such a drop-in replacement is feasible, or if the most likely noise is a huge sucking sound as much of the existing show follows the money and the star to whatever new channel bids most.

At least one BBC senior manager has hinted that Clarkson might be welcomed back in future, opening the door to a triumphant return once token penance has been paid. Whether the other channels that try and buy Clarkson and the show would be keen to let him go again is another issue.

[turtle]

I would love them all to move to Netflix properly. Or even an Amazon Prime exclusive.

[Naderfan]

Walking Dead finale question (not really a spoiler, but just in case, I'll put it in one)

What is with it constantly going from late afternoon to pitch black in the course of a scene? Were we supposed to believe it took Rick five hours or so to walk through town?

I'm excited for the next season. I hate waiting, but at least I'll have Mad Men for awhile!

[Windswept]

The summer season is starting for some crime dramas. I will be watching, and I wonder if anyone else will be too.

- Rizzoli and Isles - I think starts tonight.

- Major Crimes started last week, I believe.

- Graceland coming up soon.

- And Murder in the First has started already, with a two-part season opener of two high school kids shooting up a school bus from the inside and killing 12 people.

These are all crime dramas, as I said, mostly on TNT; but USA might have Graceland. I'm not sure. For anyone who has never seen Graceland, that's the name of a luxury beach house confiscated by the government for being used by a Mexican drug cartel. It's inhabited now by undercover federal agents from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and so forth.

I get so nervous about tv-show undercover operations, especially when they're working with brutal Mexican drug cartels, mainly because that sort of thing is really going on in real life all the time across the U.S., and it just scares me to think of these *real-life* agents putting their lives on the line every moment of the day and night.

Of course, Graceland is supposed to be a place where they can come home and relax with people who know their true identity and who are working on the same sorts of cases themselves. A lot of suspense in this show.

It's hard to believe that the government can get people to do these dangerous undercover jobs in real life. I could be a spy, but only the kind of spy who collects and reports information and has a normal job as a cover occupation while traveling in foreign countries. Ryan would make a great spy along these lines because of all the traveling he does.

So, anyone planning on watching any of these crime dramas this summer? Just wondering.

[Windswept]

The Sunday night schedule on PBS is so worth watching.

* First is Last Tango in Halifax, a family drama in present-day England.
* Then Crimson Field, set at a British medical unit in France during wartime, mostly about nurses and their various personal travails.
* Then, Masterpiece Classic, Poldark, set in a mining area of Cornwall, in the late 1700s, I think, since sexy Ross Poldark is a soldier returned from war in the American colonies.
* Next is Dalziel and Pascoe, a police drama set in northern England.
* Then Forsyte Saga, another Masterpiece classic, dealing with family drama, wealth, failed marriages, affairs and divorce.

All British dramas. Not sure which I like best, since they all have appealing story lines and characters. It's such a feast to have all this quality programming on one night. I guess I prefer settings in other centuries than the 20th and 21st, partly because it's clear how much more personal freedom we have these days than people, mostly women, had back then.

I would have been miserable in the late 1800s or early 1900s due to the restrictions on women's freedom. Even now, If I lived in some Middle Eastern countries today, I doubt I would have survived beyond age 14, due to forced marriage, FGmutilation, no education for girls, and so forth.

So, watching dramas set in the 1700s and 1800s makes me feel empathy for those women, and appreciate the freedom I have been so fortunate to have always enjoyed in my life.

Anyone else watch any of these Sunday night programs on PBS?

[709]

Originally Posted by turtle I would love them all to move to Netflix properly. Or even an Amazon Prime exclusive.

Well there you go.

[turtle]

Originally Posted by 709 Well there you go.

I saw that this morning and am actually pretty excited! I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of show they do since they won't have BBC censors in the mix. I'm not expecting it to be a vulgar mess, but it'll be interesting to see what they do with less oversight.

[709]

LOST.

Seriously. It's on Netflix and I never watched it to the end when it was on teevee, so I'm watching it from the beginning. Just casual viewing, like if I'm eating lunch or taking a break from the machines to have a beer I'll watch an episode. So far it's not bad, and in some cases very good, but I can feel it getting off the rails – I'm close to the end of Season 4 (the season the writer's strike was) and there's a lot of shit going down.

I probably could've watched just the last 2 (3?) seasons since that's where I left off somewhere, but I'm glad I didn't. There's a ton of shit that I didn't remember, and interestingly, I find myself hating more of the characters now than I did when it was broadcast.

ie: everyone, pretty much. I'm at the point where Mr. Eko and Charlie caught teh dead, and they were my faves. Sawyer and Hugo, recently in my fave list, are getting on my nerves. I pray that someone shoves a mango into Claire's big, loud, stupid mouth and kills her next.


[EDIT]: also, NO SPOILERS PLZ. I know the ending is probably a letdown, and I don't care.

[kieran]

I've been meaning to go back and watch Lost again from the beginning. I haven't seen any since I watch the whole series about 5 years ago.

Definitely not a show that will be good in syndication, so I doubt we'll be seeing reruns of it anytime soon.

[Brave Ulysses]

Originally Posted by 709 LOST. Seriously. It's on Netflix and I never watched it to the end when it was on teevee, so I'm watching it from the beginning. Just casual viewing, like if I'm eating lunch or taking a break from the machines to have a beer I'll watch an episode. So far it's not bad, and in some cases very good, but I can feel it getting off the rails – I'm close to the end of Season 4 (the season the writer's strike was) and there's a lot of shit going down. I probably could've watched just the last 2 (3?) seasons since that's where I left off somewhere, but I'm glad I didn't. There's a ton of shit that I didn't remember, and interestingly, I find myself hating more of the characters now than I did when it was broadcast. ie: everyone, pretty much. I'm at the point where Mr. Eko and Charlie caught teh dead, and they were my faves. Sawyer and Hugo, recently in my fave list, are getting on my nerves. I pray that someone shoves a mango into Claire's big, loud, stupid mouth and kills her next. [EDIT]: also, NO SPOILERS PLZ. I know the ending is probably a letdown, and I don't care.

You could have just watched the last 2 seasons. There is a ton of shit the writers didn't remember either so it wouldn't have mattered

[709]

Welp. I did it.

What the hell.

[PKIDelirium]

Woo, fall season is here! Already started with Big Bang, Scorpion, NCIS and NCIS New Orleans, waiting on Elementary, Odd Couple, and Walking Dead

[kieran]

That snuck up on me.

My DVR just started recording things and I completely forgot that new shows were starting.

[709]

Is anyone else watching The Expanse on SciFi? I.... may like it? It's not nearly BSG, but it has some of that flavor. I'm about to dive into the second episode and actually a little bit excited that there might be a new, current thing that I like on TV. Was all that Sharknado profit able to finance something reasonably good? We shall see.

[Elysium]

Originally Posted by 709 Is anyone else watching The Expanse on SciFi? I.... may like it? It's not nearly BSG, but it has some of that flavor. I'm about to dive into the second episode and actually a little bit excited that there might be a new, current thing that I like on TV. Was all that Sharknado profit able to finance something reasonably good? We shall see.

I think I would like it, but not enough to pay for cable TV again.

[709]

I'm Airplaying it from the website.

[Elysium]

Huh, even though their App says it requires a cable or sat subscription you can still watch. Fun.

[Windswept]

Not many people here are Downton Abbey fans, as I recall. Those of us who are know that the sixth and final season starts Sunday night, January 3, on PBS. For those who haven't watched this globally acclaimed drama, and who may be thinking of trying it out, please do yourself a favor: go to your local public library and check out the first five seasons to watch before seeing season six. These DVDs may be checked out already, but you could put in a *hold* and get them as soon as they are turned back in.

A Civil War drama starts on PBS in January too, iirc, for those of you who are history buffs. It deals with a hotel owner, his wife and two daughters. I think they are Southerners, but I'm not sure. Their hotel is taken over by the Union army to use as a military hospital. If so, then it'll deal with them treating Northern soldiers and freed slaves, I'm guessing.

[Windswept]

The Civil War drama is called Mercy Street, I believe, and starts on January 17 on PBS.

The next Sherlock coming up is set in the late 1800s, with horse-drawn carriages and cobblestone streets. You know, the PBS series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. I have found the modern-day setting off-putting, because a huge part of the appeal of the whole Sherlock Holmes saga has always been the 19th century setting, in my opinion.

I have loathed that incredibly tacky flat that the cellphone version of Holmes and Watson lived in. It depresses me to see how seedy it is, especially in comparison with the charming Victorian flat in which the 'Jeremy Brett' Holmes resided, tended by that sweet 19th-century Mrs. Hudson.

Does anyone else have the same preference toward the 19th century Holmes? Just wondering.

[psmith2.0]

Is anyone watching Zach Galifianakis' Baskets on FX? I caught the premiere last week, and then the second episode tonight. It's that weird, awkward "sad sack" type of comedy that appeals to me. Tonally and looks-wise, it kinda reminds me of a cross between Raising Arizona and Better Call Saul, with a bit of Between Two Ferns thrown in. It's created, and written by, Galifianakis and Louis C.K. (if that helps give you an idea of what you might expect).

Long story short: Galifianakis plays a bit of a loser, a guy named Chip Baskets, who has flunked out of a fancy clown college(!) in Paris(!!), moves back home to Bakersfield, California and takes a shitty job as a rodeo clown. Some of the comedy comes from seeing him trying to work his high-art, "tragic clown" persona into some rinky-dink, low-rent rodeo where the small town locals don't want none of that "fancy French shit". We see his mom (played by comedian Louie Anderson*), his twin brother, Dale (played by Galifianakis, of course, in that voice/persona of the Southern-accented character he's done in other projects), a female insurance agent who he meets after he wrecks his scooter (she has developed a crush on Chip and keeps coming up with more ways to spend time with him), and others.

It kinda works on several levels and seems to bounce nicely between slapstick, that "awkward silence" type of thing, people being thoughtless/rude to each other (something I despise in real life, but if it's in a TV show or movie I'll laugh my ass off), and that "ouch..." type of bittersweet comedy/pathos at times (you want to feel bad for the guy, but then again he's such an oblivious a-hole about everything that he just kinda makes it tough).

It's probably not for everyone because it may veer into the awkward and absurd more than some prefer. But I'm all about awkward and absurd, so...

Anyway, it's the kind of thing that has made me smile or chuckle out loud more than any other alleged "comedy" I see lately. If you're a fan of the properties mentioned in the first paragraph, you might want to check it out. Check your local listings.



*...which is kinda cool because it's never played up as a "drag" joke or anything; you just kinda buy into that this comic everyone knows as a guy is playing the lead character's mother...and it's his real birth mother; there isn't a transgender angle/explanation or "hook" or whatever; it's as though the producers simply realized "this is what we want Chip's mom to look/act like..we don't care if the best choice for the part is a dude" and just went with it; he does a nice job...kinda fussy, overbearing with little passive-aggressive digs at Chip and others. I've never cared for Louie Anderson the standup comic, but I enjoy him as Mrs. Baskets.

[psmith2.0]

Another satisfying episode of Better Call Saul. I swear, I sit and watch that show with a smile on my face, the entire hour. It's just so watchable/enjoyable on so many levels. And bear in mind I'm saying that as someone who didn't watch Breaking Bad.

No lie...I only saw the series finale of BB a few years ago, so I know I'm not picking up on every little nod, reference, foreshadowing or Easter egg (but I also know how to Google/Wiki, so I'm getting some of them after-the-fact). I know the basic gist/rundown of the major players involved. Someday I'll do the Netflix binge thing for BB, but right now I'd kinda like to take in this show on its own legs/merit, and experience it all chronologically (in other words, to view Breaking Bad as a sequel to Better Call Saul, as opposed to BCS being a prequel to BB). If that makes any sense.

Also, the fourth season of Bates Motel is now two episodes in. It's sometimes a bit too soap opera-y for my tastes, but I still love Vera Farmiga's character/acting that I can overlook the rest of the crazy, silly aspects.

[709]

This is a preemptive post about posting Game of Thrones discussions...

Is everyone in? Are we watching weekly or saving up? I will fucking kill you, by the old gods and the new, if I see a fucking spoiler un-spoilertagified. Just saying.

Or a new thread maybe? I'm surprised one of us didn't yet.

[turtle]

Is that the show where dragons kill people? Is the host Alex or Pat?

[709]

[murbot]

Originally Posted by 709 This is a preemptive post about posting Game of Thrones discussions... Is everyone in? Are we watching weekly or saving up? I will fucking kill you, by the old gods and the new, if I see a fucking spoiler un-spoilertagified. Just saying. Or a new thread maybe? I'm surprised one of us didn't yet.

I'd still tap Melisandre (after double checking that clasp).

[Bryson]

I'm in.

Dorne is a massive waste of time, eh? Worst characters on the show by a long chalk.

[murbot]

Yes, Dorn. Ugh. If they'd never spoken of the place this season I doubt anyone would care. Some of those scenes are like they're from another show. Especially the 2 Girls 1 Spear scene this week. Played out more like a Buffy scene. Though strangely I did have to adjust afterwards, so I can't rank it too badly.