Tuesday 14 January 2014

Telly Addict

I don't make it a secret that one of my favourite pastimes is to sit down and watch a good (or slightly questionable) programme on television. I mainly like dramas but I'm also partial to a good comedy show, documentaries and even the odd reality show.

Although I love tv watching I'm terrible at doing it when the actual programme is scheduled to be on! This is why the invention of catch-up tv and recordable devices are a godsend to me. I must have kept iPlayer and 4od in viewing figures during my university years. So some of the things I watch may be slightly outdated and I do tend to have to avoid spoilers, but this means I can skip ad breaks and watch what I want, when I want. 

So here are a few of my favourite shows I've been watching recently.

Homeland
Yes, I know the finale was a while ago but I have only just caught up with it. And wow, I'm glad I did! I know the second season was criticised for not living up to the critical acclaim of the first but I think the third season has been back on top form again. I have no idea where they will go with the next one, but I hope they don't hang around too long with it! Plus, I always have time for a Claire Danes cry-face!





Sherlock
Pretty much everyone is watching this, but I personally think all the hype is well justified. It's intelligent, funny, brilliant acted and Benedict Cumberbatch is fast becoming a national treasure. I love the addition of Mary this series (especially as she is Martin Freeman's actual wife! Nepotism?!) and although I do miss Andrew Scott as Moriaty I think it may have been the best yet.



The 7.39
This was a two-part drama on the BBC with Sheridan Smith and David Morrissey as two commuters who meet and fall for each other during their daily train rides. It also starred Olivia Colman, who I am slightly in love with. I love a one-off drama and thought this was brilliantly done. Without sounding too cliched it was a 'modern-day romance' with the added element of exploring the fall-out of an affair that is destined not to have a happy-ever-after ending. 


The Undateables
The third series of this started last week and as usual, I loved it. I think it's a lovely portrayal of people who are a little bit different but truly deserve some happiness in their lives. It always leaves me smiling and I think channel 4 have got the balance right and not interfered overly in the participants private lives. You get the impression that all the people on the show are genuinely happy to be filmed and I'd like to think that people learn something about difference from watching it. 


Death Comes to Pemberley 
This was on over Christmas but I thought it was worth a mention as it stood out for me in what I thought was otherwise a pretty poor showing of programmes over the festive period. It was based on a book by P.D James about the characters in Pride and Prejudice 6 years after Austen's book ends. I had to have a quick refresh on the plot as it's been a while since I've read the original but I thought it worked really well at expanding the characters stories. Overall it was a really good period thriller, perfect Sunday night viewing with some great performances.


The Big Bang Theory
I've only just recently come back to watching this after an unintended break, and I'd forgotten how ridiculous/brilliant it is! I'm not usually a big fan of American sit-coms (bar Friends obviously) but I think this one is a bit different and I really enjoy it as a bit of silly escapism. The new season starts this week so I've caught up just in time!



So there's a selection of what I've been enjoying at the moment. I would love to hear any recommendations, I'm definitely a tv girl rather than a film lover and am always on the look out for new things to see!

I'm looking forward to:
Hostages - I've got the first episode recorded and it's meant to be the 'new' Homeland - fingers crossed!
Line of Duty - Loved the first series, hope the second can live up to it.
The Ark - Coming in Febraury, a WWI medical based drama mini-series.
Broadchurch - I'm intrigued to see what they do with the second series.
The Game - A six-part cold war thriller. Not my usual thing but sounds really good.
W1A - Follow-up to the brilliantly funny Twenty Twelve (more Olivia Colman?!)










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