Netflix/Prime/Hulu/BritBox Binge Watching: Coronavirus Edition

[Karen-W]

Amazon Prime is showing Being the Ricardos. I was glued to the film. I loved I Love Lucy. The film does deal with a lot of real issues that Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez had (as well as Vivian Vance and William Frawley), but altered some of the time line to fit the story. Nicole Kidman did a pretty good job on the few scenes that they recreated from the TV shows (the grape scene). It was both fascinating and sad if you are a cult fan of the original show.

Agreed! I just watched it and found it fantastic! I'm not a cult fan of the original but was familiar with the lesser known details of the show from a college class I took on early television history - one of the required books for the class was about the show (such a seminal part of the sitcom genre).

Thank you so much for the heads up -- I just finished watching it, and I thought Kidman was terrific. What a smart woman Ball was.

Both of them - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz - didn't get nearly enough credit for their business savvy and industry acumen at the time - she was a woman and he was an immigrant. What they created with Desilu Productions gave us so many great TV shows (Star Trek!), innovation and creative genius.

 

[oleada]

I haven't watched Being the Ricardos yet, but I listened to a TMC podcast about Lucille Ball called The Plot Thickens (it's the third season), that was excellent. I've never seen an episode of I Love Lucy in my life and I was fascinated.

 

[Sparks]

I've seen every episode of I Love Lucy many, many times. I can't count

 

[clairecloutier]

I've seen every episode of I Love Lucy many, many times. I can't count

I watched them as a kid. They were on as reruns in the afternoons. (I'm dating myself here, LOL.)

 

[MacMadame]

I watched them as a kid. They were on as reruns in the afternoons. (I'm dating myself here, LOL.)

Same here and I'm older than you.

 

[MacMadame]

Forgot to say, we watched the entire season one of Wheel of Time last night. We were both thought it was okay but hard to follow. I was worried about not being able to follow it because I hadn't read the books and that turned out to be true.

 

[mjb52]

I started Wheel of Time but decided the style wasn't for me, then girded my loins (so to speak) to brave The Witcher. Glad I did, it's still so fun. I just skipped the one torture scene and glance away during the other violent parts.

 

[Japanfan]

Forgot to say, we watched the entire season one of Wheel of Time last night. We were both thought it was okay but hard to follow. I was worried about not being able to follow it because I hadn't read the books and that turned out to be true.

IMO, the series compliments the books. I don't think I'd recommend that anyone watch it without reading the books.

For example, the series doesn't go into detail about the different ajahs that Aes Sedai belong to. They all have different purpose. The blue, to which Moraine belongs, is dedicated to building peace (something like that), whereas the red is anti-male.

 

[clairecloutier]

For example, the series doesn't go into detail about the different ajahs that Aes Sedai belong to. They all have different purpose. The blue, to which Moraine belongs, is dedicated to building peace (something like that), whereas the red is anti-male.

It was helpful having my husband around to explain these details. LOL. Otherwise I would have definitely been confused.

 

[VGThuy]

I saw Being the Ricardos and I won't say much of what I think, but I will say that I don't get the Judy Holliday slander. Sure it was only like 2 sentences...but Sorkin seemed to target her for some reason and even did so while being historically inaccurate (like the Stromboli poster in one scene).

 

[sk9tingfan]

It's on my list but I've heard mixed reviews about it so I haven't gotten around to watching it yet. Might be something I binge next week when there's not any skating to catch up on and work is deader than it's been this week (seasonal mortgage slow down is well in hand, lol).

Your cold, dark heart probably thinks the Princess Switch movies and similar Hallmark-style holiday romance chick flicks are all dreck.

Hint - they're not! They're cheesy, fabulous binge-worthy goodness that are perfect with a steaming bowl of homemade soup, hot chocolate and a warm, fuzzy, also homemade, afghan to wrap up in on the sofa on a chilly winter afternoon or evening. Yup, I might have already watched Princess Switch 3 on Netflix...

Her eyebrows are distracting. IMO, she needs to tone them down. She looks like Groucho Marx!

 

[MacMadame]

Her eyebrows are distracting. IMO, she needs to tone them down. She looks like Groucho Marx!

Isn't that Anne Hathaway in the Princess Diaries? (Different franchise.)

 

[Karen-W]

Isn't that Anne Hathaway in the Princess Diaries? (Different franchise.)

No, it's Vanesaa Hudgens from High School Musical fame.

 

[MacMadame]

No, it's Vanesaa Hudgens from High School Musical fame.

So they both have caterpillar eyebrows?!

 

[Karen-W]

So they both have caterpillar eyebrows?!

Oh, yeah. And, without spoiling too much of the plot line but one of the 3 characters Hudgens plays has bleached blonde hair (obv a wig, lol) which make the eyebrows pretty distracting.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I am absolutely loving 1883, the Yellowstone prequel. The first two episodes were aired on the Paramount channel on TV (I think the third is going to air next Sunday too) and the rest will be streaming on Paramount+. The story is beautifully told so far and the acting has been incredible.

 

[Sarrie]

I am absolutely loving 1883, the Yellowstone prequel. The first two episodes were aired on the Paramount channel on TV (I think the third is going to air next Sunday too) and the rest will be streaming on Paramount+. The story is beautifully told so far and the acting has been incredible.

I watched the first episodes last night and like it as well. The opening scene almost lost me from the jump as I disliked the visuals/costuming of the native Americans but I seldom think movies/tv get it right. The acting is very good tho and Sam Elliott is amazing as usual.

 

[Cachoo]

I think "Station Eleven" is a breath of fresh air. With peeks into the past the show mostly takes place twenty years after a deadly v-i-r-u-s has killed off most of the people on earth. And though there are some bad folks out there this is about the men and women in a traveling Shakespeare company who are determined to keep art alive. It is NOT bleak and is on HBOMAX. It looks like this might be a continuing series.

 

[Bunny Hop]

I read the book of Station Eleven last year (yes, during C*v*d times ) and it was very good. It's not on one of the streaming services we subscribe to here, but I'll be interested to see it if it ever makes its way to mainstream TV.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I watched Being the Ricardos at a friend's place the other night. I thought it was very good. For such an iconic character, I thought Nicole Kidman did a great job of playing Lucy.

Over this break, I have been renovating my loungeroom so have been streaming stuff that I have seen heaps of times before to have something on. My list has been:

• Die Hard
• Monty Python's Life of Brian
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• The Great Race
• Black Books (all seasons)
• IT Crowd (half way through all season)

Have been having a great time watching all these.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I am slowly going through The Witcher but have found myself more interested in rewatching X-Files on Hulu. I never did watch all the seasons after Duchovny. Not sure if I will like them because it can be hard to transition to new actors but I will give them a shot.

I see a huge similarity to Supernatural as I'm going through this first season of X-Files except Supernatural didn't have the alien storyline. The other monster episodes have a similar feel to them.

 

[Cachoo]

I'm watching "Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer" on Netflix. I don't want to divulge anything except to say what a dump Times Square was circa late 70's. This is a good docu. I didn't know about these particular cases.

 

[Judy]

I'm watching "Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer" on Netflix. I don't want to divulge anything except to say what a dump Times Square was circa late 70's. This is a good docu. I didn't know about these particular cases.

Omg will have to check that out.

 

[marbri]

Rookie question about Apple TV. Is there a benefit to pre-ordering a movie? I haven't done it before and wondering how they release these? Spider-Man: No Way Home is available to pre-order for $24.99. When it is finally available would that still be the price or does the price go up?

eta.. this is for my daughter, I have her as a user on my account

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Rookie question about Apple TV. Is there a benefit to pre-ordering a movie? I haven't done it before and wondering how they release these? Spider-Man: No Way Home is available to pre-order for $24.99. When it is finally available would that still be the price or does the price go up?

eta.. this is for my daughter, I have her as a user on my account

Sometimes there is a discount for the pre-order but it should specifically state that. In that case the sales price would go up if you buy on the day of release. I'm not sure how much value a pre-order is in the age of streaming unless they specifically state a discount.

 

[Judy]

I'm watching "Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer" on Netflix. I don't want to divulge anything except to say what a dump Times Square was circa late 70's. This is a good docu. I didn't know about these particular cases.

Omg it really was bad wasn't it. I remember being a young teenager and suggesting to my parents going to NYC for vacation and my mom saying how dangerous crime was. I already knew It was going to be a big no because my parents went to the SAME vacation spots lol but I tried.

 

[canbelto]

I gave up on Don't Look Up after 30 minutes. it just wasn't interesting and funny and I love Leo, Meryl, and Jennifer Lawrence.

 

[gkelly]

Omg it really was bad wasn't it. I remember being a young teenager and suggesting to my parents going to NYC for vacation and my mom saying how dangerous crime was. I already knew It was going to be a big no because my parents went to the SAME vacation spots lol but I tried.

I used to take the bus from NJ to Port Authority during high school to hang out with friends who lived in the city. They would meet me at the bus station and we would walk to wherever we were going in midtown. We used to joke about which route to take: Death by 42nd St. or Death by 8th Avenue?

 

[Sparks]

I finished Being the Ricardos last night. I thought it was very good. Lucy's ambition and love for Desi was real.
I don't think there was any slander against Judy Holiday. I believe Lucy disliked Judy...Judy was one of her main comedic rivals.

 

[VGThuy]

I finished Being the Ricardos last night. I thought it was very good. Lucy's ambition and love for Desi was real.
I don't think there was any slander against Judy Holiday. I believe Lucy disliked Judy...Judy was one of her main comedic rivals.

But she really wasn't though. The movie Lucy was happy to "beat out" Holliday for in Being the Ricardos was The Big Street, which was made in 1942. Holliday didn't even have her first film role until 1944 and at the time was relatively unknown. She was making her name around the Greenwich Village set with friends like Betty Comden/Adolph Green. Judy got her big break in films in 1949 for Adam's Rib, which Holliday only got at the insistence of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy who used their vehicle as a way to convince the studios that Holliday was "camera-friendly" so she could get cast in Born Yesterday in the part she originated on Broadway. Lucy was a much more well known by then thanks to her earlier films and subsequent radio work before I Love Lucy. Sorkin just chose Judy Holliday for no reason, and then had the gall to make Lucy disrespect her by saying she's only good at doing one thing....well whatever.