What are you watching? What’s on TV in Australia (and why you should stream Taskmaster on SBS on Demand)

By Bobi

Okay. Good news, people. 

I have found “stuff” on television, and when I say television, I mean SBS. It’s not a lot but beggars can’t be choosers. 

But sometimes they can, and we are off to a flying start. 
I have stumbled across Taskmaster (SBS). So much lighthearted fun. It is my go-to when I just want to wind down at the end of the day and even better, because it was undiscovered, I have two seasons to look forward to.  (Juz’s note: Here, here. I binge watched Taskmaster during the pandemic. I don’t know why Channel 10 has not made a version.)

As I can feel everyone flinching as I end my sentence with a preposition – and where on earth should that comma go? Clearly, not where I put it – I will let you know that I was going to write this chat on grammar but, obviously, not now.  Nevertheless, I will share some of the jokes so as they are not wasted. 

This one is for BDD. 

This one is for the rest of us. 

And this one is just for me.

It is my favourite. 
I am enjoying Why Women Kill (SBS). It is a bit jumpy between timeframes but I am getting used to it. The best thing about it is that it is twisty – I like a twist – and the second best thing is that the whole season is available. 
I am also watching Untold Australia (SBS). It is a feel good series. I’ve only watched a couple of episodes but they left me warm and fuzzy and thinking that all is right with the world. 

I am going to recommend a movie just to shake things up: Return of the Hero (SBS). I am only half way through but I am enjoying it enough to put it on the list. 

Lastly, a book (yes, I know that is not a sentence). I am stretching things here but there is a television connection. It is The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, he of Pointless fame. It is everything I like about a murder/mystery: a bit funny, many characters to either like or dislike, a bit twisty but with the clues there, and all wrapped up satisfactorily in the end. I am expecting a tv series to come out of this. 

I leave you with an unrelated thought:

Enjoy. 



Facebooktwitterredditmail

TV production updates

Due to Coronavirus, many reality shows have been forced to reachedule their production.

Big Brother Australia started filming a few weeks ago (it’s not live like the old days) so producers had to tell the housemates about the latest virus news.

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/coronavirus-big-brother-australia-cast-reportedly-unaware-of-pandemic/news-story/3c3d39cd0af4b68b6b99b3252f530302

And US Survivor has pushed filming of its next season back a few months. It still plans to air the series at its normal time – it will just mean a quicker editing turnaround.

Thanks to Big H for suggesting this thread.

Everyone, please add updates for other shows here.



Facebooktwitterredditmail

General chat with Bobi -March 7

By Bobi
You probably haven’t noticed but I have been off the air for a little while. Even watching the Golden God in action has not been enough to thrill me, and I predict (with a high degree of probability) that he will be stretchered out of Paradise this Sunday, so there goes the remaining  joy of “All Stars”. Plus, the producers this season are bordering on hopeless. Just sayin’. Those ads are just too obvious. 
The news is repetitive. The weather is crap. My friends and neighbours are doing it tough and I have no faith in our so-called leaders. See that? I am so filled with ennui that I could even be bothered putting leaders in quotes. What has my life come to. OMG, I ended a sentence with a preposition. There is no coming back from here.
So, here is a list of links to some tube clips for entertainment and distraction. Pick and choose. Or not. 
A cat, reflecting my current mood.
https://youtu.be/Q34z5dCmC4M
Who doesn’t love a bad lip reading video. 
https://youtu.be/gneBUA39mnI
Chipmunks are just fabulous and besides, this is my life.
https://youtu.be/QjAJxRaa_-Y
This is the first tube video that I ever watched. I am sure every one has seen it before but here it is again. 
https://youtu.be/nGeKSiCQkPw
And lastly, just a bit of fun, especially the wait, wait for it moment at the end. 
https://youtu.be/8nHnQQhWQVA
I am sure I will up and bouncing about shortly. Sometimes it’s just a process I have to wade through. 
Okay. One more video. This is how I wish I could get through life. I love dogs. 
https://youtu.be/A4N7G29GWQI



Facebooktwitterredditmail

General chat mid-November

Well, this is a bit weird …
Every Saturday morning I go out for coffee (ok, yes, and a pastry), scan the TV guide and set up the posts for the week.
But today, there’s no Bachie, no Block, no Love Island even.
Sure, Zumbo’s Just Desserts is starting but we know how bad that was first time round.
We are entering the Summer Dead Zone and it’s only mid-November.
So, what’s everyone watching?
Mr Juz and I just watched the gazillionth episode of Grey’s Anatomy and I am attempting to catch up on Outlander, although I am not as obsessed with at as some people are.
I do enjoy One Born Every Minute but I cry every time.
Mr Seven is currently addicted to Teen Titans and Ladybug & Cat Noir, although I recently let him watch Bondi Rescue and he was fascinated. I just fast forward through the drunk backpacker scenes.

Facebooktwitterredditmail

Nearly Nov general chat

Over to Bobi, with thanks, for kicking off a new general chat thread:

It’s November. Like you didn’t know that. It’s a doomsday countdown. BOING but with dramatic music.

It’s more a reminder that, from here on, TV viewing is mostly abysmal, and it becomes progressively worse as Christmas approaches.

There are no new cooking shows, dreadful game shows – seriously, is there no one else available but Grant Denyer? – and endless repeats of NCIS. I am awed by the repeated attempts to bring back Karl Stefanovic. How tone deaf do you have to be to put him in with sharks?

I know, you say Amazing Race has started, right? But I counterpunch with The Block. This season has been going on FOREVA. I feel like I am in some eternal form of purgatory. Can we not make it stop?

I am trialling a couple of shows but it is early days. Thank goodness for ABC and SBS.

I am loving Total Control (ABC). It is clever and brutal and real at the same time. It doesn’t pretend that we are talking about some fictitious country with fictitious politicians and fictitious political parties. It’s about time we, the viewing public, were treated as intelligent human beings capable of discerning a good story line without getting it confused with reality.

I do love Australian Story (ABC). It is always fabulous. The last episode had me on the edge of my seat even though I knew the ending. Like Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery, they really know how to get to the heart of the issue. It’s an art form. And who doesn’t love a sticky beak into someone else’s life?

SBS is letting me down a little. More like, a lot. Normally they are my go-to when I want something dark. I tried Wisting. Awful. I am a minute into The Plague (it’s Spanish). It could be okay. I have some hope.

Help.

I might have to resort to reading a book.

Bobi

Facebooktwitterredditmail

General chat for Oct – with Bobi

Thanks to Bobi for a new general chat post. I read today there are only 12 Mondays until Christmas so a trying not to freak out – Juz

It’s October, one month closer to Christmas, and it feels like everything is winding down or coming to an end (Here’s looking at you, MasterChef).
I know they’re not. I know that we are waiting for Love Island, something to do with Dirty Dancing and Survivor US but it all feels a bit lightweight and second choice.

To cope with withdrawal symptoms, I have been immersing myself in real reality tv, but being proper real TV (PRTV), it is mostly on SBS and ABC, and is designed to reduce me to a sobbing, blubbery mess.
Just a side note, I am a pre-inclined that way. Remember the Telstra ad telling us to “Call home”? (Slight whimper).

The original and the best reality show is 7 Up (and is being repeated on SBS). There is something about growing up with these people, and eternally waiting to catch up every seven years. They are my age and all their experiences are mine. One of them has died (Spoiler Alert) and one of them is very sick. It’s like losing a friend. I am very sad. I am not sure that this is for everyone. It doesn’t lend itself to binge watching.

So, of course, I move straight to Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds to cheer myself up. I was warned that there would be happy tears. Correcto! They were mostly happy tears, but were mixed with a huge amount of indignation. Did you know that 40% of the elderly in nursing homes don’t get visitors? How can that be? I didn’t want to watch this one but so many people insisted I should give it a go, and I am really glad I did. If the Government had a humane bone in its body, it would put a bucket load of money into making sure that this experiment happens everywhere.

But my favourite was Storm in a Teacup. It’s about the partnership between Leon Pericles and his wife/business manager. She has dementia and he’s not coping. He’s from your neck of the woods, Daisy, and there is some vague similarity between your artwork and his.

The show started happily enough because she’s a happy soul, and I thought all would be good but, by the end, I ran out of tissues and the couch was wet. I was a drippy mess. It was a lovely show. I highly recommend it, if only to see the flying of the kite he designed. He is an amazing talent.

And out of left field, Season 2 of Disenchanted has returned to Netflix. It’s not as good as Season 1 but I needed an antidote to all the political news. Have I mentioned previously that the world is going to hell in a hand basket?

– Bobi

Facebooktwitterredditmail

General chat: September

Over to Bobi for a new general chat thread, with thanks:

It’s spring, people, SPRING!! I’m a little bit excited and I could wax lyrical but my poetic hippocampus is still in hibernation.

The best part of spring is that is light enough at 5.30am – and may greyhound trainers rot in hell for this little piece of conditioning – for me to pick up his morning deposits. And, just softly, this would be the same place reserved for those who voted for daylight saving. I vote for karma.

The highlight of winter was the new bed bought for the grey. It was a hit.

Any resemblance to a pretzel is just coincidental.

He says it’s the best and I am the best for buying it, so, on his advice, I bought the terrier a smaller version. How could this go wrong?

Well, a bit like this. Obviously.

Yup. Nothing to see here.

In case you were wondering, the terrier is not unhappy with my puffy coat.

Which leads me to a little gem of a show, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly (7Plus). Extra points for segue? It’s short and sweet, the dog trainer is a no-nonsense guy, the owners are well meaning idiots but all problems are easily fixed and we live happily ever after … and I feel good. It’s a lovely antidote to this season’s The Block (bleh), and The Bachelor (meh).

On a related note (excited face), the Dark Crystal (Netflix) is back. If you didn’t catch the original , DD used to watch it again and again. I always worried that it was a bit scary but she says that she always knew it would end well. I haven’t seen it yet but I am waiting for a rainy day. The reviews are good so I have incredibly high hopes. Happy dance.

And on a completely unrelated (to anything) note, my latest ear worm is Kiss My Fat Ass by Sheppard – with video. What can I say.

Facebooktwitterredditmail

What will you be watching?

Welcome to one of the most chaotic weeks in Australian reality TV land.
MKR is finishing, Bachelor in Paradise is heading down the final straight, and MasterChef and House Rules are just starting. It now seems an age since MAFS finished. Oh and I nearly forgot – Lego Masters starts on Nine tonight.

And Talkin’ About Your Generation returns on Wednesday at 7.30pm.
At least we get a breather before The Block begins.
What have you been watching – and what will you be turning in for?

Facebooktwitterredditmail

New Lego show

Did everyone catch the promo for Hamish Blake’s new show, Lego Masters?
Here it is:


I guess it will air on Nine after MAFS finishes.
It looks like GBBO but with Lego. And less staring at ovens.
It’s based on a UK format. This could be a big family-friendly hit for Nine.

Facebooktwitterredditmail