What are you watching?

[bill_g]

Ok someone else needs to be traumatized with me. Just finished Baby Reindeer.

I HAD NO IDEA.

I posts about how good it was and finished something else up so I though why not. I don't normally watch stuff that has "comedy" in the description but hoo boy. what a ride

Loved it! There was nothing comedic about this. It was dark, dark, dark, dark, dark - and I love me some dark. It was like an onion - every time you think you understand the protagonist, a little bit more of him is revealed.

Exactly! I love dark, too but I'm so glad I really knew nothing about it. I pretty much binged it and maybe that was too intense.

► Show Spoiler

I hate that it was his empathy that kept him entangled with Martha. But he also thought his trauma made him vulnerable to more trauma - which isn't unusual.

Okay. One word - Wow (with a hundred exclamation points after that) (at least six)

This is worthy of a book club kind of discussion after watching it. It is absolutely something to talk about. It hits on a lot of levels. And the fact it's true proves the adage that life is better than fiction.

It's a quick easy binge in six parts a half hour each or so. Jump in. Give it a go.

► Show Spoiler

This isn't much of a spoiler. If you drill into the episodes list down to the trailers, they have a 12 minute "how it was made". In there the lead actor explains this is an autobiography. It's his life. He is telling is his story.

[Rolodex]

A Gentleman in Moscow on Paramount +. I absolutely loved this book, and the series (so far) is incredibly faithful and so well-done.

I love that book, too. I'm waiting for all the episodes to drop before watching. I've become a real baby about having to wait a week between episodes!

[bill_g]

A Gentleman in Moscow on Paramount +. I absolutely loved this book, and the series (so far) is incredibly faithful and so well-done.

I love that book, too. I'm waiting for all the episodes to drop before watching. I've become a real baby about having to wait a week between episodes!

Both Paramount and Amazon want to make streaming like the old days of antenna TV. They want the audience returning on a regular basis so they won't miss an episode in hopes they'll stick around for another show. If they pull an AMC or FX stunt where they delay putting an episode it up for On Demand for several weeks to exclude whomever dares not watch it at the network scheduled premiere, I'll drop them quickly. Ugh.

[AndyinPA]

Watched Baby Reindeer last night and this afternoon. What a ride!

[Maybenaut]

Watched Baby Reindeer last night and this afternoon. What a ride!

I talked to my husband about it. He has a hard time with stuff like this. He asked if I would watch it again. He wanted to see it. I warned him that it was disturbing. He made it through three episodes, then was like, OK, just tell me what happened.

[Rolodex]

Watched Baby Reindeer last night and this afternoon. What a ride!

I talked to my husband about it. He has a hard time with stuff like this. He asked if I would watch it again. He wanted to see it. I warned him that it was disturbing. He made it through three episodes, then was like, OK, just tell me what happened.

I get that. But it's hard to explain. The narrative of the story (which could all be learned in the "viral video) doesn't really get into the psychological aspects and contradictions.

[sugar magnolia]

The alleged "real life" stalker says she's the real victim.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv ... 235885429/

[neonzx]

i made it through all episodes of Baby Reindeer. I think i need a Martha in my life. That is probably what I have been missing out on.

[Maybenaut]

Watched Baby Reindeer last night and this afternoon. What a ride!

I talked to my husband about it. He has a hard time with stuff like this. He asked if I would watch it again. He wanted to see it. I warned him that it was disturbing. He made it through three episodes, then was like, OK, just tell me what happened.

I get that. But it's hard to explain. The narrative of the story (which could all be learned in the "viral video) doesn't really get into the psychological aspects and contradictions.

Regrettably, I was able to explain it using people we know as examples.

[bill_g]

The alleged "real life" stalker says she's the real victim.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv ... 235885429/

Ugh. I did not see that one coming! (not)

This is a totally Martha thing to do, and almost an expected outcome. In the "making of" he explained it was developed as a stage production first before becoming a TV script. One would hope the legal department did their due diligence. While it was small, and very indy, few people saw it, and those that did were aware of the subject matter before attending. But, as soon as it hit a larger audience, and became successful, that's when the knives come out.

It may turn out this story is well crafted utter bullshit, that none of it is true in any sense, and we were fooled into caring. That could cost the author. Here's to hoping we didn't hang our hearts on a liar.

ETA: baby reindeer was a topic last night at dinner. Several of us have seen it, and my idea this is a good book club discussion was correct. It affected all of us. Very well done.

[Dr. Ken]

A Man in Full based on the Tom Wolfe novel.

[bill_g]

A Man in Full based on the Tom Wolfe novel.

Are you liking it? Rotten Tomatoes gave it a green splat.

[Dr. Ken]

A Man in Full based on the Tom Wolfe novel.

Are you liking it? Rotten Tomatoes gave it a green splat.

I'm liking it. He's always good in his serious roles.

[John Thomas8]

Apparently "yard rescue" is a thing, and there's multiple folks on YouTube posting their work. Spencer has 2+ million subs and many many of his videos (1 hour plus long) have a million+ views.

In this one, he cleans up a yard and rescues an injured cat (cat starts at 10:47):

[bill_g]

Oppenheimer available on Prime.

Two words - w ow.

I'm speechless. You have to watch it.

[neonzx]

Oppenheimer available on Prime.

Two words - w ow.

I'm speechless. You have to watch it.

I just finished it an hour ago. Wow is right!

[Luke]

Oppenheimer is epic. Also on Prime: Downwind is a Martin Sheen narrated documentary exposing 928 large-scale nuclear weapons from 1951-1992 (!) in Mercury Nevada.

#The1PercentClub: Amazon is trying something different. Fox is broadcasting a quiz show called The 1% Club and Amazon is running the episodes the next day. It's based on the UK show, and it's more of an IQ than fact recall test. They say they test "logic, common sense and how your brain actually works". They go from a 90% get it right question down to a 1% get it right. You only get 30 seconds to answer.

It's questions like:

1. 15% Question: How many capitals are in the sentence below?

"While visiting the United States, I traveled to California, Texas, and Washington, D.C."

A 4
B 6
C 10
D 20

2. 5% Question:

If you were to add each individual digit that appears on a 12-hour digital clock, at what time would you have the largest sum?

Image is a 4-digit clock set to 00:00

3. 1% Question:

Last month was not May or July. Next month is not January, March, or November. Neither last month nor next month is April, August, or December. What month must it be?

ANSWERS:

► Show Spoiler

1. D -- There are 9 capital letters in the sentence, plus Washington, D.C., the capital of our country, for a total of 10 capitals.

2. 959 -- On the hour side, the highest possible sum is 9 and on the minute side, the highest possible sum is 14 (5+9)

3. April -- The "last month" clue rules out June and August. The "next month" clue rules out December, February, and October. The "neither last month nor next month" clue rules out every other month except April.

How did you do?

What's sad is that the UK version is MUCH TOUGHER (except for the last few questions). It's on ITV at https://www.itv.com/watch/the-1percent- ... a0593a0007 and there are 2 seasons. (I've posted how to watch UK content upthread; if you need help feel free to ask, there's a ton on ITV and Channel4, including lots of US pay shows). The US version is so much easier, I guess our nation is bigger, but it also concerns me about how our citizens are not being educated. For the UK version, paused to take time to think through the answers, 30 seconds wasn't enough.

On Channel4, my favorite Cherish Finden (Friend of The Fogbow) show is back for Season 9: Bake Off: The Professionals - Series 9. These are so much fun. They're up to Episode 3. https://www.channel4.com/programmes/bak ... /74373-002

Cherish Finden 黄淑柔 @cherish_finden
Ready to meet our new batch of pastry chefs on Bake Off The Professional ? See you at 8pm on @Channel4 @britishbakeoff

#GBBO Quote British Bake Off @BritishBakeOff 12h
Good luck, chefs! May the palates of Benoit and Cherish be on favourable form tonight! #GBBO

https://x.com/Orly_licious/status/1803275037866160505


Interview with the Vampire Season 2 is AMAZING. Some of the best hours of TV I've seen in a long time, they are textured and surprising even if you know the books. If you don't have AMC, this site has them https://ww1.m4uhd.tv/watch-tvseries-int ... 70574.html

The "Anne Rice Immortal Universe" is going so well that Mayfair Witches Season 2 is in production in Dublin right now, and AMC just greenlit "The Talamasca" as a new series to shoot this fall. The Talamasca is a great idea for a show; it's the ancient organization that has watched over the supernatural for centuries.

[bill_g]

#The1PercentClub: Amazon is trying something different. Fox is broadcasting a quiz show called The 1% Club and Amazon is running the episodes the next day. It's based on the UK show, and it's more of an IQ than fact recall test. They say they test "logic, common sense and how your brain actually works". They go from a 90% get it right question down to a 1% get it right. You only get 30 seconds to answer.

I got zero because of the time limit.

► Show Spoiler

OTOH, I arrived at the answers to #2 & 3 just fine. I was proven right about #1 - the posted four choices were all incorrect.

1. 15% Question: How many capitals are in the sentence below?

"While visiting the United States, I traveled to California, Texas, and Washington, D.C."

A 4
B 6
C 8
D 20

[AndyinPA]

The new season of House of the Dragons started on Sunday. I was a bit underwhelmed the first season, but decided to try the second. It's only been one episode, but I think I'll keep at it. I don't know why, but it appealed a little more this time. We'll see.

Also thought Oppenheimer was awesome.

[Luke]

► Show Spoiler

I'm sorry about the typo on question 1!! I was copying it from the TV screen and went too quickly. Big apologies!! Thought the questions were fun. Corrected the answer set in Q1.

[sugar magnolia]

1. 15% Question: How many capitals are in the sentence below?

"While visiting the United States, I traveled to California, Texas, and Washington, D.C."

A 4
B 6
C 10
D 20

► Show Spoiler

1. D -- There are 9 capital letters in the sentence, plus Washington, D.C., the capital of our country, for a total of 10 capitals.

D isn't 10 on the answer sheet, it's 20. I just spent WELL over the allotted time counting and recounting the damn caps because I kept coming up with 10 but thought there was no way the question/answer as written was wrong.

[sugar magnolia]

Whew!

[Kendra]

I'm binging on Dateline NBC, found the show has a 24/7 channel and Comcast carries it. All that gruesome true crime.

[AndyinPA]

I'm binging on Dateline NBC, found the show has a 24/7 channel and Comcast carries it. All that gruesome true crime.

I think it's almost 50 percent of the Oxygen Channel, too.

[bill_g]

► Show Spoiler

► Show Spoiler

I'm sorry about the typo on question 1!! I was copying it from the TV screen and went too quickly. Big apologies!! Thought the questions were fun. Corrected the answer set in Q1.

No worries. I hoped it was a typo. These puzzles are meant to trip you up. I went down the tal vs tol rabbit hole for a bit.

I liked it even if I lost mightily.