the official binge-watching thread

[gh]

We watched Burns' hour-long Brooklyn Bridge documentary last night. His first work and worthy, but gets a B- when compared to his A+ for the Civil War, Country Music, etc. Interesting to see how much he improved after that first effort. We watched it via Amazon Prime and learned one can subscribe to PBS documentaries for only $3.99/mo, with access to all of Burns' work, NOVA, American Experience, and more. I think they just created that offering this summer. And, in looking at the site offering that, I learned a new word, oeuvre, as in "Ken Burns' oeuvre", defined as "the works of a painter, composer, or author regarded collectively".

I, too, am now targetted to be a solid Burns-watcher. Agree on your B- for Brooklyn Bridge, but just having Peter Coyote as narrator would have bumped the grade.

[DrJay]

It could be women have more sense.....

Martin Gardner in one of his Dr. Matrix books wrote ....chess is the greatest waste of talent outside of an advertising agency...

Chess takes time, and thinking about this makes me lament having life responsibilities (like work). I learned to play chess at age 10 in 1972, along with some neighborhood friends. We played a lot that summer and followed the Fischer-Spassky match in the newspapers. What a luxury, being able to just play chess for a few hours with no pressing tasks at hand for the duration of the summer.

[Atticus]

What a luxury, being able to just play chess for a few hours with no pressing tasks at hand for the duration of the summer.

When I was re-introduced to chess in college, I discovered that I was so enamored with my own brilliant strategy, five moves out, that I rarely paid any attention to what the other player was doing.
I quickly lost interest.

[NotDutra5]

Chess takes time, and thinking about this makes me lament having life responsibilities (like work). I learned to play chess at age 10 in 1972, along with some neighborhood friends. We played a lot that summer and followed the Fischer-Spassky match in the newspapers. What a luxury, being able to just play chess for a few hours with no pressing tasks at hand for the duration of the summer.

Brings back memories of Shelby Lyman with his cardboard "telestrator" that me and my buddy were glued to the TV like we were watching the Super Bowl.

[gh]

Anybody watch "Peaky Blinders", English crime family, post WWI with lots of blood and grime. 4 seasons so far, with Tom Hardy and Adrien Brody guesting. Recurring themes include class warfare, Soviet meddling, IRA, ethnic profiling.

I just started..... great stuff!

[gh]

We have the first episode of The Civil War on tap for this weekend. But my wife thought that might be a bit depressing so wanted also to start something else. So we watched the first episode of Queen's Gambit last night.

I started Civil War last night and realized that I never watched the whole thing when it originally ran. The initial episode was completely new to me. I was struck by how much better than Brooklyn Bridge it was, but noting that Country Music is that much better (in terms of moviemaking) than Civil War. He really grew in his craft. And was it really 30 years ago it came out?! I'm still stunned at the list of talent he had to do the voiceovers.

[jeremyp]

"The Crown" on Netflix tonight. Hello Princess Di!

[guru]

I started Civil War last night and realized that I never watched the whole thing when it originally ran. The initial episode was completely new to me. I was struck by how much better than Brooklyn Bridge it was...

Best thing about The Civil War is Shelby Foote

[bhall]

Peaky Blinders...

I just started..... great stuff!

I like it. My wife loves it.

[KDFINE]

I just started..... great stuff!

Can't wait for the next season.

[Trickstat]

Can't wait for the next season.

I'm afraid it might be a long wait as I don't think they've filmed it yet and Covid has massively reduced filming of TV drama in the UK this year.

[gh]

Best thing about The Civil War is Shelby Foote

by far! I keep wondering why he is tagged as "writer" rather than "historian"; his grasp of facts is astonishing.

[Adam$]

Watched the 4-part Hugh Laurie political vehicle Roadkill and he and the plot weren't bad, though it wasn't executed very well. I thought women characters were treated pretty bad, which was kind of surprising for Masterpiece theater (including a massive truck hit/run). But Laurie is just very good so I stuck with it.

[jeremyp]

Watched the 4-part Hugh Laurie political vehicle Roadkill and he and the plot weren't bad, though it wasn't executed very well. I thought women characters were treated pretty bad, which was kind of surprising for Masterpiece theater (including a massive truck hit/run). But Laurie is just very good so I stuck with it.

Yes! A lesser Masterpiece to be sure. The two Hughs (Laurie and Grant) always have that glint in their eye. That Dawn French (...Maggie Cole) fiasco that precedes it (here in SW Florida) is awful.

[gh]

by far! I keep wondering why he is tagged as "writer" rather than "historian"; his grasp of facts is astonishing.

in googling for an answer to this I found a site that doesn't treate Foote terribly kindly.

http://cwmemory.com/2015/08/31/the-s...the-civil-war/