On My TV At The Moment…

At some point in the last few years for a while I had included “TV junkie” in my Twitter profile or in the “About Me” page here. Even back then it wasn’t 100% true, because 

a) I didn’t watch such a huge variety of TV shows or TV movies, only a few favourites, but these over and over (episodes and seasons) and 
b) I didn’t necessarily watch those on “the TV” as we know it. I either streamed online (episodes) or binged box sets (seasons) before Netflix and Amazon Prime existed.

In some ways watching TV shows is my guilty pleasure, because even though there are some I’m really hooked on, there are also quite I’m only watching to pass the time, when I’m feeling too lazy to do anything productive. To distract myself from… well, a lot of stuff. Which recently might have been the case more often than I would like to admit. And especially now when the days seem shorter and it’s starting to move from lovely autumn to wet and dark winter, cuddling up on my sofa in front of a screen is even more appealing. When I’m not reading one of the many still unread novels on my Kindle, that is. I’ve done quite a lot of that recently as well…

Here is a probably incomplete run-down of  what I’ve been watching recently or trying to keep up with (if it’s a current show) and at which point in the series I am. But also a few words about the shows I stopped watching or have tried out and shelved for later and about those I’m looking forward to in the next few weeks. 

Watching at the moment.. 

Designated Survivor (up to Season 2 Episode 5)
I started (binge) watching it, when the last third of their first season aired and I was intrigued by the plot at first and the political aspects of it all and I did and do like all of the main characters. Towards the end of season 1 and all of season 2 so far, I still haven’t figured out where they are planning to go with the whole conspiracy idea. What’s the point of Hannah and that guy from MI6? It all feels a bit disjointed. I will keep watching for now though. 

Lucifer (up to Season 3 Episode 3)
I loved the first season of Lucifer, but wasn’t the biggest fan of all the metaphysical aspects – God, Lucifers’ mother (!!!), travelling to hell and back –  in season 2. I missed the fun of Lucifer and Chloe just solving crimes and flirting and such. I have to admit I still haven’t gotten the right vibes yet from the first few episodes of season 3 either. I don’t want to give up on the show, but they are making it difficult for me to keep interested… *sigh* 

Madam Secretary (up to Season 4 Episode 5)
Another of the shows set in a political environment and I still kind of enjoy it, even though some of the foreign / global policy plots seem over-the-top to me sometimes. And don’t get me started on the ethical problems I see, when the State of Secretary’s husband is leading a secret or not secret CIA mission and needs funding and… Yeah. But I do love the McCords as a couple and as a family and I like Elizabeth’s staff and that all in all keeps me interested enough. I couldn’t care less about Henry’s spy work and Dimitri. Ugh! Enough of that guy! Please!

Outlander (up to Season 3 Episode 10)
What can I say? My favourite book series come to life on the TV screen and I love the wonderful cast and I think the writers are doing a good job with adapting these “big books” for 13 episodes season each year. I’m over the “OMG, it’s Jamie and Claire on my TV” excitement I used to experience when it all started. A little bit of distance, emotionally can be a good thing though. Especially when I sometimes notice how crazy this fandom can be. There’s only 3 more episodes left for this season and still so much ground to cover before the long “Droughtlander” begins again… 

This Is Us (up to Season 2 Episode 8)
I loved the first season of this one, even though sometimes it felt like they tried a bit too hard with a surprising revelation at the end of almost each episode. But it’s such a well written drama to me, about family and life and everything. When it was first hinted where the Kevin storyline was heading, I was dreading it. Yet another addict plot in a TV show. Great. But when I actually started watching these episodes this weekend I thought they were very well written and so amazingly acted by Justin and Logan and Milo…. 

When Calls The Heart (up to Season 3 Episode 2)
This one is totally my guilty pleasure at the moment. In the way that I turn it on when I need something mind numbingly sweet and drama free to keep my mind of other things. Or when my mind is too tired to be able to focus on current shows where I need to pay close attention to not miss the plot or something. In a way I wish Bill Avery had been a bad guy after all, so that he would have left the show. I don’t know, I just don’t like him much. And maybe he could have taken Nora with him, why is she still hanging about? 

Given up on (for now)

Catastrophe (given up after early Season 2)
I started this because I wanted to see Tobias Menzies in another role. It’s only a small one here, but I kept watching for while, because the whole show was funny enough, even though sometimes a bit too crass for my taste. I wanted to give the 2nd season a try as well, but then lost interest. Or couldn’t stand the crassness any longer? I don’t know… 

Grace & Frankie (given up after Season 3 Episode 1)
The 3rd season is still in my Netflix queue, but as I didn’t like the 2nd season as much as the first, that’s probably not going to change for a while. 

Landgirls (given up after Season 2)
Another one of these “I need something to numb my mind” shows I started watching earlier this year. Or maybe even last year? I usually like historical shows and I might watch the final third season of this at some point. I don’t really care especially much about any of the characters as such, so that’s probably why I could easily drop it for now.

Sneaky Pete (given up after the first two episodes)
I actually enjoyed these first two, when I watched them earlier this year, but obviously not enough to pick it up again. Yet.  

Orange Is The New Black (given up after Season 4)
I didn’t start OITNB when it came out and everyone was raging about it. I did watch it after a while and even though it was about all those serious topics and some scenes were hard to watch sometimes, I enjoyed the first few seasons. They were still some positive vibes, either in the back stories of the women or in how they handled their life at the prison. Season 4 was downright depressing to me though and so far I couldn’t bring myself to start watching season 5, when it came out this summer 

Looking Forward To…

Anne of Green Gables (Season 2, hopefully early-ish next year)
This was my favourite book series as a child / young woman and I loved the first season in May. Even though or maybe because of the way the story was adapted. It was a bit more realistic, a bit more serious, but still had so many wonderful moments from the book. And all the beautiful landscape of Prince Edward Island or the other Maritime Canadian Provinces where they filmed this.

Godless (mini-series, 22 November 2017)
I just recently saw the trailer for this miniseries and I was definitely hooked. A Western series with a bunch of strong women? Sold! Watch the trailer here.

The Crown (Season 2, 8 December 2017)
I am so looking forward to this. I LOVED the first season. Maybe because my Mum instilled a “yellow press” kind of interest for the British Royal family in me? We’ve watched all the big royal events (weddings, funerals, birthdays) together on TV after all. I also love a lot about the UK and history, so this show is the perfect combination. The set and costume design is marvellous and so is the cast, which for this season will be joined by Matthew Goode, so… yay! Watch the trailer for season 2 here. And here is a trailer with focus on Princess Margaret, which has many more Matthew scenes in it :-)

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