As I’ve mentioned any number of times before on these pages, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video helped keep me sane during the days when the COVID pandemic wreaked havoc with humankind. Even though the worst is behind us, COVID-ly speaking, my addiction to the streamers hasn’t abated in the least. Man, five or more nights each week my wife Sandy and I tune in to one series or another for an hour or two. This practice pleases the hell out of me, an entertainment hound. Basically, I love it!
Sandy and I enjoy nearly all of the series we watch, partly because we do a fair bit of research before hitting a production’s Play button. We’re not about to look at anything that gets less than a strong rating on IMDB, for instance. Nevertheless, losers occasionally pass before our eyes, such as the Netflix series Marcella, a detective show whose first season we dialed up a few months ago. It’s beyond me how Marcella has garnered a 7.4 on IMDB. With way too many plotlines and riddled with ludicrous situations, it started rubbing me the wrong way in a very big way after two or three episodes. At that point I said “F*ck this!” and, with Sandy’s blessing, tossed the series aside. I’m not fabled for making good decisions, but saying bye-bye to Marcella was the indisputable proper move.
There were no complaints from me or Sandy, however, earlier this month as we polished off, consecutively, three series that kept our eyes glued to the TV screen and our emotions running high.
First up was season one of The Night Agent, released this year on Netflix. In this tale, Peter Sutherland (played by Gabriel Basso), a low-level FBI agent, becomes involved up to his neck in a murder investigation that in no time has him questioning whom he can trust. It all starts when Sutherland becomes the unwitting protector of Rose Larkin (portrayed by Luciane Buchanan), who has witnessed the assassinations of her aunt and uncle and is on the run from the killers. Why were the aunt and uncle killed? Who was behind the murders? Will Peter and Rose solve the mystery and not get whacked? I can be a dumbshit, but by the end of the final episode I had a pretty good understanding of what the hell had been going on, which is not always the case with me and thrillers. Sandy and I hope that the already-promised season two will fly as high as the initial run does.
Next on the bill was The Diplomat, another new Netflix series (its season two also has been OK’d). A drama starring Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Great Britain, the show deftly, and in a stylized manner whose wryness agreed with me, douses its viewers with political maneuverings and negotiations.
Wyler isn’t sure she’s cut out for her new job. But from the get-go she proves that she’s got what it takes. Adept at getting her points across, she helps to avert an international crisis and likely a war by convincing the U.S. president that Iran, the presumed culprit, was not behind the attack on a British naval vessel that killed dozens of sailors. As a result, the cagey British Prime Minister, for now neutralized, doesn’t retaliate against Iran. But murky waters lie ahead nonetheless. Things are not what they seem to be, Kate learns more than once. And a seemingly innocuous situation leads to a cliffhanger of major proportions, guaranteeing that Sandy and I will return for season two upon its release.
You know, I’m a rock and roller at heart. I would have loved living the life of a rock musician. There was and is one problem, though: I have zero musical talent. So, I’ve lived that life vicariously, and continue to do so even now at my ridiculously advanced age. All of which means that I was smitten with Daisy Jones & The Six, a ten-part Amazon presentation released this year and based on the novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
The (fictional) saga of the titular band that, during the 1970s, rose to lofty heights and then fell apart, Daisy Jones & The Six has all that you might expect: sex, drugs and heaps and heaps of rock and roll. The series chronicles the group’s history and brings the story into sharper focus by including interviews — conducted 20 years after the band’s dissolution — with band members and their inner circle, none of whom had spoken publicly before about why the implosion took place.
Armed with good scripts and actors who do justice to the words written for them, Daisy Jones & The Six has a lot going for it. What’s more, much to my astonishment, the series made me think . . . about love’s complexities, for love in various stages of development and strength lies at the heart of the show. Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones (brought to life by actors Sam Claflin and Riley Keough, respectively), the leaders and vocalists of the band, have a contentious association at first, which mellows with time and then morphs into something far more nuanced and intimidating. I’ll say no more, except to reiterate that love and relationships damn sure can be complicated.
Thanks for reading, boys and girls. Sandy and I would be happy to learn about the shows you recommend. We’re always on the lookout for series to watch. We thank you.
Yeah, Another Blogger 
I am getting tired of news and sports, so I guess I will sample your recommendations.
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Hi. There are hundreds of good series on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu et al. It’s pretty astonishing.
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I did just finish watching Succession and did enjoy that.
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Thanks for the reviews, we’re always looking for new shows. I’ve heard a lot of good things about The Diplomat.
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Hi. The Diplomat has a lot going for it, including fine acting by Keri Russell.
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We don’t subscribe to any streaming services
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Hi there. Right, people have different approaches to television. Some folks don’t watch it at all!
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True
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Daisy Jones and the Six was fun for me because I am a fan of the author and I have read all her books, including this one, so I enjoyed the show because of that, but…… the book was better!!! 🙂 😉
What about Succession? It is soooo freaking good!
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Hello Cindy. I watched the first season of Succession. But I decided not to watch seasons two and three, because the characters are such unlikeable people. I plan to watch the final season, though, to see how things end up.
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Thanks for these new recommendations and glad you enjoyed Daisy Jones & The Six as I wrote about it recently and you said you might give it a spin.
Last night we watched the final episode, of the final ever season, of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. Always emotional when you come to the end of something you’ve really enjoyed and I think they handled the tying up of the whole thing really well.
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Sandy and I saw the final season of Maisel recently. I’m glad she finally broke through and became a star. It was great when she grabbed the microphone and did her routine on the talk show — she gave a stellar performance!
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Yep, a fitting end to the show.
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Totally with you on Marcella … just wish I’d given up on it sooner!
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Yeah, the Marcella episodes I saw really were ridiculous. Not good at all.
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Thank you, Neil. ‘Im indoors and I have a definite leaning towards crime… TV. With the advent of DNA, phone tracking and CCT camera, the poor villains are having a hard time of it! Aah. Just think what they got away with years ago…On the other hand, I’m a great fan of humour – what pleasure Taxi, Cheers, Mash (especially) etcetera, gave us. Not forgetting our, gentler, Morecombe and Wise, Ronnie Barker, and ‘Del-boy…’ When the years dictate our walking habits and energy levels, what a pleasure the gogglebox can be! Nevertheless, reading a good, well-written book, takes some beating. (I modestly recommend an excellent anthology of New York crime tales: Precinct Murder, published by WordPlay Publishing, Amazon, containing three stories by yours truly…) Cheers! x
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You’re a multi-talented person. You’re terrific!
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Very rare anyone says such kind , glowing things, Neil. You’ve more than made my day/month… A humble thank you, sir!
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Your recommendations are a far cry from what used to pass as good programming on mass media. I’ll give “The Diplomat” a try.
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Hi. I forget which product had this line in their TV ads, but it’s a good one: Try it, you’ll like it!
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Try it you’ll like it!–Alka Seltzer 😁
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I’m glad you’ve found so much to enjoy. I don’t subscribe to any streaming services, except for the Amazon offerings that come along with my Prime membership, and I’ve not watched any of their offerings. I do keep notes on what others seem to enjoy, though. When the time comes that I can’t be as active as I generally am, I may actually watch The Sopranos. I hear it’s pretty good!
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The Sopranos is a great series. One of the best drama series ever, I think.
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Thank you for the reviews Neil. We are always looking for something to binge as well. One of our sons told us The Diplomat was very good. We are watching Happy Valley on BBC America. Episode 1 in Season 1 got off to a slow start but then took off like a rocket. The third and final season began two Mondays ago. I also recommend The White Lotus (two seasons), Peaky Blinders, Mare of Easttown, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all of the Fargo seasons, Ozark. Best wishes.
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Hi. We have similar tastes, I think — I’ve seen a bunch of the series you mention.
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Read your reviews but don’t subscribe
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For sure there’s plenty to watch on “regular” TV.
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My binge watching (which is rare, perhaps 10 days out of the year) consists of theater serials, generally from the 40’s and 50’s. These play like a modern series, usually having 12 or 15 “chapters” (they’re not referred to as “episodes”). I take exotic adventures into the jungles, the high seas or the sky, such as “Nyoka and the Tiger Men”, (1942); “Call of the Savage”, (1935) in which we see a young, 20-something Noah Beery begin his career. Cowboys, Canadian Mounted Police, gold prospectors and sleuthery also rank high. “King of the Royal Mounted” (1945); “Sign of the Wolf” (1931); AND “Chick Carter, Detective.”. Shows that feature and co-star animals are among my favorites, including “Adventures of Rex and Rinty”, feeauring Rin Tin Tin (nicknamed “Rinty”); Railroad stories of the west include “Roar Of The Iron Horse” (1951) and “The Hurricane Express” (1932) where we see a young cowboy who would come to be a legend, John Wayne. My all-time favorite “Sergeant Preston of The Yukon” was a short-lived television series from ’56 to ’59. The show was created by George Trendle, who also created The Green Hornet and The Lone Ranger. Originally a radio series titled “Challenge Of The Yukon” that ran from the 30’s to the 50’s, it featured the wonderdog Yukon King “…strongest and swiftest of Eskimo lead dogs…”.
I enjoy radio shows like “Challenge Of The Yukon” and “Gunsmoke”. Most folks know Gunsmoke as a record-breaking television series starring James Arness as U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, but it began on radio, starring the future detective “Cannon”, William Conrad.
I suppose everyone likes some controversy and sex and deeply developed characters facing “real-life” problems, but for me, I escape to Saturday Afternoon Matinees in the 1940’s, where the men were strong, the women were beautiful, the horses gallant, and the bad guys wore black.
Best regards,
Paz
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Paz, the depth of your knowledge amazes me. Speaking of John Wayne: A few nights ago my wife and I watched part of Sagebrush Trail, which came out in 1933. Wayne is in it. I went to google a few hours ago and learned that Wayne was in a number of silent movies in the 1920s. I hadn’t known that.
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I’m with you all the way about streaming. We subscribe to many services and feel as though they are worth every penny. We really liked The Night Agent and are eager for season 2. A fun bit of trivia: Gabriel Basso, the lead in Night Agent, is also in the movie Super 8, which we rewatched a couple of nights ago and found it absolutely delightful. I’d also put a plug in for Mare of Easttown and the Fargo series.
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I remember Super 8. It’s really good.
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Thanks for the recommendations. Night Agent is one of the best I’ve seen. I like hapless characters who rise to the occasion.
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Hi. Thanks for stopping by. It’s a very exciting series. And Peter and Rose definitely rose to the occasion.
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We’ve been enjoying Catastrophe, a previous recommendation of yours. Seeing your post reminded me we need to watch another episode!
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Hey, Marie. Right, Catastrophe is real good. Watch more of it!
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Thx. I’m Always looking for something new to stream.
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Me too. Right now, my wife and I are watching the final season of Barry. It’s pretty good.
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We absolutely loved “Daisy Jones,” although in so many ways it could potentially be seen as trite and stereotypical. I think perhaps the spot-on evocation of the 1970s, as well as that glimpse into a music universe I’ll never be part of (I’m a rock drummer but played only in cover bands), really contributed to my love of that series. Not to mention the mysterious allure of Riley Keough. Anyway, I need to give “The Diplomat” a try. Thank you for the recommendation!
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Howdy, Paula. I learned recently that Riley is the late Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter.
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I want to start The Diplomat but feel like I need to get in the headspace for it. And I’m not there yet–plus I’m still on a high from The Americans that I watched 3-4 years ago lol Can’t cloud my Keri Russell characters! have you gotten into Mrs. Maisel yet? Just finished that series up. Patiently waiting for Outlander to restart.
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Hi Misti. My wife and I are into the Maisel series. We watched the final season very recently. The final episode is quite emotional, as you know. I’m glad she finally became a big star.
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I agree with you about Marcella – it was dismal. l liked both the Diplomat and the Night Agent – probably the latter a bit more. I could see how the Diplomat could go south – the main character seems a bit hyper but we shall see!
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Evening. Right, it will be interesting to see how season two plays out in The Diplomat. But it might be a good long while before that season is filmed, what with the writers’ strike going on now.
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I’ve watched and enjoyed The Night Agent and The Diplomat and look forward to the next season. From what you say, I missed wasting my weekend movie time on Marcella. I got hooked watching the weekly episodes of Citadel, a global techno-spy thriller, on Prime Video. Season One ended last week. Hate having to wait to watch Season Two 🙂
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Thanks for the tip about Citadel. We’ll look into it!
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My wife and I usually watch one or two episodes of whichever series we’re into while we’re having dinner. We may give Daisy Jones a try!
We’re currently enjoying season 1 of The Recruit, a tongue-in-cheek spy-thriller.
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Ah, I’ve heard about The Recruit. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Neil, thanks for the recommendations. Here’s one for you: we thoroughly enjoyed Extraordinary Attorney Woo. It’s a South Korean television series about young lawyer with Asperger’s. She’s brilliant, knows the law backward and forward, and thinks in extremely creative and unusual ways. She’s not what you’d call a people person, though, and struggles to understand and interact with others. Her colleagues are, at first, put off by her, but we see everybody grow. We watched the first season and are eagerly awaiting the second. It’s dubbed in English, so you don’t have to deal with subtitles. Very different, but quite wonderful. Maybe you’ve already found it on Netflix?
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Hi Donna. Thanks for the tip about Woo. Haven’t seen it. I’ll look into it!
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Hi Neil, agree with you about Marcella. Tried a few episodes but didn’t take to it at all. She’s actually a very popular British actress, made good first in a soap called Brookside long ago. Done some good drama over here so was surprised how poor it was. I shall check out your other recommendations. I’m a bit of a secret Trekkie so have been bingeing on Picard on Disney+ but can’t find anything else on there to tickle my fancy.
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It’s amazing how many incarnations the Star Trek enterprise has had. The original series aired almost 60 years ago, I think.
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I’ve been tempted by The Night Agent but don’t have as willing a companion viewer as you! We watched Marcella for a while, a little while.
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I think that the Head Gardener would like The Night Agent!
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You can add TV critic to your resume, Neil. I haven’t seen any of these shows, but I think I will tune in to Daisy Jones. Like you, the lives of rock stars have always piqued my interest.
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It’s a good one, not perfect, but what is? Well, maybe The Sopranos is!
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Leo watches a lot…passes his time. I don’t see much – though I did try the Diplomat which confirmed everything I had always thought about the so called special relationship.
I think the prequel to Inspector Morse – Endeavor – is available in the U.S.A. – that’s well worth a look.
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Thanks for the Endeavor tip. I’ve read one of the Morse books, but haven’t seen any of the Morse television fare.
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Morse is worth it for the photography alone…Endeavor for the capture of the period,
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Those all sound good! I don’t watch too many series, but I do enjoy Shitt’s Creek and Afterlife was also good. Both are on netflix.
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Hi Ann. Shitt’s Creek is a phenomenon. It kept getting more and more popular over time. I think the creators and actors in the show were surprised about that. Thanks for the suggestion!
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We LOVED “The Diplomat” too Neil. Can’t wait for season 2.
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Right, the ending of season one left a WHOLE lot of questions to be answered.
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Enjoyed your reviews. I’ve only watched The Diplomat, it’s very good. I’ll have to try the others. I was on Amazon Prime watching — Ultimate Cowboy Challenge. A fun show.
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Hi. When I was young, there was only a modest number of shows. These days, what with cable channels and streaming services, there are zillions of shows!
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I also like The Diplomat. Have you watched Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime?
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Hello Becky. I’m a fan of Mrs. Maisel. I would have been very disappointed if she hadn’t become a star, considering that her standup routines are hilarious.
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Yes, she’s great! And I love the time period; they do it so well.
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Thanks for reviewing. I truly enjoy watching streaming Netflix and HBO. “The Night Agent” looks pretty good 👍
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Hi. Yes, you might want to give The Night Agent a try. It’s suspenseful.
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Not everyone/thing can be a winner. I can’t really comment, since I don’t know any of these series, but I’m glad you are finding some good entertainment out there.
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Hi. In the past I didn’t need a nightly dose of TV series. But the pandemic changed all of that. I became addicted and continue to watch, although the pandemic is over.
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There are worse addictions!
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Well, I.m out on a limb here but the only series I.ve seen of those mentioned is Marcella, and although I will admit it was weird, I really enjoyed it. I wonder, does the Diplomat which you all mention, does it have any humour in it at all.
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Afternoon, Basia. The Diplomat is light-hearted here and there, but it’s definitely not a comedy.
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This is a timely post for me because we’ve been reviewing our streaming services, most of which we too began during lockdown. Most our viewing are of British tv shows via Britbox, Acorn, but we did start HBO Max (now simply “Max”) late last year. For some reason, we also have Paramount Plus. That’s too many services! So decisions need to be made soon. I’ve heard Daisy Jones and the Six is really good. Thanks for the review. – Marty
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Hi there, Marty. Daisy Jones is real enjoyable, but it’s on Netflix. So, if you take out a subscription to Netflix, you’ll have more streamers than ever!
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😬
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I love these kinds of recommendations, Neil, since my husband and I like to watch series too. We’re currently enjoying The Diplomat, though we probably need to start at the beginning again (we were too tired when we started it to pay attention). And thanks for recommending Night Agent. That sounds like one we’d enjoy, so Daisy Jones will have to wait for now. Have a great evening!
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We live in a golden age of television. It’s unbelievable how many good series we have to choose from. See ya!
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Thanks for sharing these recommendations.of this first season. Anita
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My pleasure, Anita. Thanks for stopping by.
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Have you watched Offspring, an Australian show? It was very good, I still find myself thinking about the characters, many years after it was over.
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Hi. I looked it up, and it sounds really good. Unfortunately, it’s on a streamer (Hulu) that we don’t subscribe to.
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Oh, that’s a pity. We get Netflix and Prime, and it was on one of those.
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Here in the USA, it isn’t on Netflix anymore. Maybe Netflix still carries that series in other nations.
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It is pretty amazing when everyone’s going crazy over some show and then we tune in and we look at each other like… “What am I missing?” It’s baffling.
We’re just waiting for the next season of The Boys, lol
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Right. For example, last week we watched Vengeance, a new movie. A lot of people liked it. We thought it kind of stunk.
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I’m with you<Neil; ever since I was a teenager I wanted to a be a rock 'n' roll star; the only problem was I had a tone deaf voice, and NO musical talent but hey! I still love rock 'n roll 🙂
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Right, there’s a wealth of good series to watch.
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I’ve not heard of any of the shows you mention other than Daisy Jones. I have that book waiting for me to read before I’ll watch it. We watch Murdoch Mysteries and like Ghosts, the American version. We also enjoyed Only Murders in the Building.
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Hi. I think you’ll like the Daisy Jones series. It has a good bit of depth to it. There are some powerful scenes.
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I must be one of the only people, who haven’t read Daisy Jones & The Six yet. I will get to it one day. Thanks for all of the recommendations. The Diplomat sounds good.
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Hi. The Diplomat is a good one. I think you’d like it.
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Thanks for sharing your review- all my friends are discussing about The Diplomat and I think it looks good from
your description too…
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Hi. I think you’d like The Diplomat. Give it a try!
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The lead actress on Marcella (can’t remember her name right now) was famous for participating in the first lesbian kiss on one of our soaps. Props for being ground breaking and all that, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her in anything particularly brilliant, and we watched about ten minutes of Marcella before deciding it wasn’t going to break that mould.
On the more positive side I’ve heard great things about Slow Horses on Prime (which I’m too tight to subscribe to; we do have Netflix). It’s based on a series of books by a guy called Mick Herron which are absolutely brilliant, and Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, the slob-like anti-hero of a group of disgraced MI5 agents based in a run-down building called Slough House. Inevitably, they end up getting caught in the blades when some spy shit hits the fan, but by working dysfunctionally together somehow manage to get the bad guys. It’s dark as, but also very funny (at least the books are).
I’ve remembered. She’s called Anna Friel.
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Thanks for the tip, Andrew. I’ve placed Slow Horses on my to-be-watched list. Here’s a couple of Netflix series you might like: The Spy; Black Earth Rising. Have a great upcoming week!
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Great, thanks Neil!
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Have you had a chance to watch FUBAR on Netflix yet? It’s a new action comedy series that I think you’d really like. hehe 😀 I’m planning to watch Night Agent next. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Hi. My wife and I might give FUBAR a try. Thanks. By the way, we started Inside Man last night, a mini-series on Netflix. It seems good.
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We loved Night Agent and burned through the entire season in a weekend.
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I hope season two of Night Agent will be good too. But we’ll have to wait a while for it, I guess, because of the writers’ strike.
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We’ve started watching Diplomat. good show. But Keri will always be Felicity to me:)
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Hi. I know of that series, but never saw it. I’ve read that she did a great job in The Americans too.
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Agree with the assessment.
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I haven’t seen Marcella–we might have tried it and didn’t like it. We do a lot of streaming between Amazon and Netflix and sometimes we get confused of what we’ve seen. But the others that you mentioned we did see not long ago and just loved them too! We just finished Sweet Tooth on Netflix and are currently looking for something new.
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Hi. I hadn’t heard of Sweet Tooth. I’ll look into it. Thanks!
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We’ve been watching lots of things lately. We just finished Barry, which we loved. We also finished The Last of Us, which was really good, too–and we’re in the middle of Catherine, which has been fun. We’re looking forward to the next season of the Righteous Gemstones.
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Thanks for your input. I’m going to look into a few of the series you mention.
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Thanks for the recommendations. I saw the first episode of the Night Agent, and though it seemed worth finished, but haven’t gotten round to it.
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It’s a good one. Lots of tense moments in each episode.
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