Channel 5 series - Paddington Station 24/7, starting 11 September 2017

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

American TV is dreadful, makes you really appreciate what we've got over here.

Really?

Breaking Bad
Fargo
Game of Thrones
The Big Bang Theory
Late Late Show with James Corden
The Sopranos
Friends
The Walking Dead
The Simpsons
House of Cards
The Wire
Family Guy
The West Wing
The X-Files
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Twin Peaks
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Frasier

Quick qualification on what I said. Watching TV programs and Sport on TV in America is dreadful because of all the commercials. Apologies for not being clear. I must be honest I don't watch any of what BNM has listed but my wife does. My genre of TV isn't very big mainly being sport/news related.

[Adelante_CCT]

A bit sad, but I know Friends inside out. Could well be a Mastermind subject for me. 

Perhaps we should all be singing "Bignosemac, Bignosemac, what are they feeding you" 

[TonyK]

A bit sad, but I know Friends inside out. Could well be a Mastermind subject for me. 

I would be much better at The Simpsons. I borrowed Breaking Bad as a box set. 63 hour long episodes, unusually watched by Mrs FT, N! and I together, at a rate of three per day. The video equivalent of a real page turner.

So no, American TV isn't all bad. I have yet to watch Game of Thrones apart from half of episode 1, which I thought good. I did see it being filmed in Croatia, though - Diocletian's Palace in Split to be exact.

And what, pray tell, is so good about Bargain Hunt or any of the other auction programmes? Mrs FT, N! does however enjoy Escape to the Country, usually in our rural Devon cottage. Oh, the irony!

[Chris from Nailsea]

I claim 'House of Cards' for Britain - it was written by a Brit, and was first broadcast as a mini-series on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page). 

[JayMac]

I claim 'House of Cards' for Britain - it was written by a Brit, and was first broadcast as a mini-series on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page). 

The US version is a match for the original. Frank Underwood is, if anything, more Machiavellian and sociopathic than Francis Urquhart.

[ChrisB]

Back on topic....watched it last night, and found most of it interesting.

However, the false news about Vauxhall station being attacked - surely a quick check with a BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) officer could have elucidated the news that it was false - they'd have known via their radios.

And a voice-over that could pronounce his 'r's might have been a better choice, no? waiways & wail were quite common....

[TaplowGreen]

Have you met Biggus Dickus? He wanks amongst the highest in Wome!

[Western Pathfinder]

Welease Wodger  .

[TonyK]

Welease Woderick!

[Western Pathfinder]

Welease Woderick!

Yes him as well .

[JayMac]

Let me come with you Pontiuth. I may be of thome athithenthe if there ith a thudden crithith.

[TonyK]

Have you met Biggus Dickus? He wanks amongst the highest in Wome!

He has a wife, you know...

[TaplowGreen]

Have you met Biggus Dickus? He wanks amongst the highest in Wome!

He has a wife, you know...

Incontinentia Buttocks?

[TonyK]

*** SPOILER ALERT! ***
If you haven't seen the episode broadcast 18 September, look away now!

It was nice to see Bristol Temple Meads featured last night, if not during its finest hour. This episode should be compulsory viewing for anyone contemplating a complaint about rail services before they put pen to paper. I have been involved in managing developing crises during my working life, but can't begin to think how I would have started to put the pieces back together in the situation that unfolded on the screen in this episode. Respect to those that did!

The young army cadet was a fool, but lucky. I have fired a few thousand rounds in anger (at wooden targets) back in the day. Bullets and bullet cases are shiny, and attractive to young trainees as trophies. After every exercise, and before we left the range, we cleared weapons under the supervision of NCOs, then fell in with weapon breech open to show it was unloaded, ammo pouches open, and  magazines* in hand. An officer would look at the magazines and weapon and stick his hands in the empty pouches whilst we in turn chanted "I have no live rounds or empty cases in my possession Sir!". On day one of weapons training, it was emphasised to us, in typical army fashion**, what would befall any one of us were we to make a false declaration to the officer - a court martial offence in extremis.

(* Not THAT sort of magazine!
**By typical army fashion, I mean loudly, repetitively, with lots of choice Anglo-Saxon words, and diagrams depicting blunt-knife castration and/or evisceration. It was generally quite effective, and certainly worked for me.)

[Boppy]

(Minor spoiler warning)

I think one of the moments I've enjoyed most so far was in the first episode in the context of the busy Friday night and someone asking for a first class ticket to Plymouth or Penzance (sorry can't quite remember). Usually this incurs a reaction of disbelief when the person is told the price but not this time - I laughed loudly at the quip by the staff member on receiving payment.