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TV Binge – Making a Murderer

January 20, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

If you’re anything like me (and I hate to admit I’m a bit of a sheep) when the internet starts talking about something or other, I want to know what they’re on about. Sometimes I miss the original wagon (like Orange is the New Black, I binged season 1, when 2 came out) but occasionally I’m just late and I run to catch up! Last week and the week before there was a lot of fuss about something called “Making a Murderer”, a tv series on Netflix and of course that meant that I had to find out what everyone was talking about!

The show is a 10 part documentary, all about a man called Steven Avery. It follows through the story of his life – his original arrest, wrongful imprisonment and eventual release. It then goes on to cover a murder he was arrested for, his arrest again and his now imprisonment again.

I have to admit, a part of me doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. The documentary was pretty interesting but in parts it dragged and when you were binge watching, some of it was a little repetitive. However the story line itself was fascinating and I completely see why it lead people to speculate as to whether or not Steven (and in turn his nephew) were really guilty or not.

I personally, don’t think he was. Obviously this is going to split opinion and of course the documentary was definitely biased towards showing his innocence rather than proving his guilt. However I genuinely don’t think Steven is smart enough to commit this sort of a crime, let alone his nephew being involved.

Whatever you do or don’t believe after watching it, its definitely an interesting in watch. I read this week that there is a possibility of a new series, documenting from where it picked up onwards – but I suppose more time will need to pass before that happens. If Steven is innocent, will he ever get the chance to prove it and be released again? I suppose that would make for a good series. However if he doesn’t get that chance or he really is guilty, then I don’t suppose there is much more that can be said!

TV Favourites with Freeview Play

November 11, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

I was recently asked by Freeview Play to make a post about my favorite TV shows and while this sounds like a great thing to talk about (and it is!) how do you narrow it down to an actual list of favorites, when you love so many shows?

As most of you who read my blog will know, I started a small sewing business a few months ago and since then I’ve spent more time sat at the dining table, than I have in the lounge. For the first month I got really behind on all my shows, until I decided to use my iPad to catch up and then keep on top of all the shows I love. Not only that but I have been binge watching series’ like Grimm, Switched at Birth, Awkward, Constantine, Orphan Black and many more. I’ve realized that I like so many different types of genre and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a current series or an old one, I’m ready to give it a go! Using a ceiling mount for tv will make your space to look bigger because saves a lot of space and look very modern.

So here are some of my favorites.

Currently running – At the moment I’m really into the various superhero series that seems to be popping up everywhere. I’m watching The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl (which are all DC) and though they’re not currently airing, I also love Marvel’s Agent’s of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter and Daredevil. Other shows that I love and are currently airing are Once Upon a Time, Grimm (which as I mentioned I recently binge watched from series 1-4), Modern Family and Switched at Birth (another one I recently binged on 3 series of). There are of course a few other series that are between series and waiting to start, such as Game of Thrones, The 100, NCIS, Gotham and Vikings.

British TV – while most of the afore mentioned shows are US ones that we either get a day after the US or wait weeks for, there are a few British shows I love. Casualty and Holby City air every week, while X Factor and I’m a Celebrity are only on this time of year. Orphan Black is also a British show that I recently fell in love with and I’m waiting for it to start again. Though most of these shows are my guilty pleasures, I’m not afraid to say I enjoy them. We’re also watching Release the Hounds which is a recent find but an enjoyable light-hearted watch.

Cancelled shows – over the years there have been a lot of cancelled shows that I’ve loved, including Buffy, Angel, Firefly and Doll House (all Joss Whedon!). However I recently watched one series of Constantine and really enjoyed it and I started on Defiance (though I’m not sure if I like it or not) and I found out that had been cancelled too. I also enjoyed both The Following and Revolution, both of which have been cancelled and a recent TimeHop post reminded me of a series called Flash Forward which was so good and such a shame it was cancelled. Finally I’m just now catching up a the last few series of Glee. I was a hardcore fan for the first few but it dropped off and while I still enjoyed it for light-hearted entertainment, I wasn’t bothered either. Now, with my VIZIO smart tv I search for shows to watch and have plenty of series to go at, so I’m just making my way through 4-6 with the hope of ticking it off the list.

There are so many more shows I could give a mention to but I would be here all day. I hope to find and enjoy even more over the weeks to come but I’ll be sure to let you know of what I find!

TV To Get Excited For!

September 17, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

It’s September!! And for the most part, that can be a bit depressing – kids back to school, weather getting colder, days getting shorter etc. However there is one big plus point to me and that’s all the TV shows that begin again! For more family-friendly tv programs, check out AWKNG TV. Here are just a few new season tv that I’m looking forward to! Check with your tv provider if any of these shows will be available to you.

Arrow Season 4 and The Flash Season 2 – October sees the return of both Arrow and The Flash, both of which I love. While I originally struggled a little to get into Arrow, it’s now one of my favourite TV shows. I completely love The Flash too, but in a totally different way. Arrow is dark and a bit more adult, where The Flash is a lot more lighthearted but still gets me quite emotional. While I’m sure it will be the end of October before we get the TV shows, I’m still excited as the trailers start to trickle out. I’m a huge Superhero fan and these two series are some of the best I’ve watched when it comes to Superheroes.

Once Upon a Time Season 5 – I’m such a massive Disney fan and this is pretty much the closest you get to a Disney series for adults. While it wasn’t always as Disney orientated as it is now, its always been fairytale related and that’s one of my favourite topics (not to mention, there are villains and I love them!). Last season was left on a great cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Not only that but I’m going to a OUAT Convention next year and I am seriously SO excited. Lana (Regina), Sean (Robin) and Bex (Zelena) are all confirmed guests so far and I’m sure there will be more!

Grimm Season 5 – I posted last week about my new found love for a tv show called Grimm. Well now I’m up to the end of Season 3 and about to start 4 so I can’t wait for Season 5 to air. It will be hard to watch on a week to week basis instead of binging, but I’m looking forward to it regardless!

Doctor Who Season 9 – While I’m not a huge Doctor Who fan, I’ve also really gotten into it over the last few years. Season 9 starts this coming weekend and I’m pleased about that. I’m still not 100% sure that I like the new Doctor but maybe 12 more episodes will help me decide! I’m sure the Christmas special will be good too.

Gotham Season 2 – I’m not entirely sure when we will get this over in the UK, it might even be next year, but its released in the US soon. I didn’t enjoy all of Season One but it definitely had potential towards the end. I’m excited to see what might come from Season 2 so fingers crossed it won’t be a let down!

The Walking Dead Season 6 – TWD is SO up and down to me. I loved Season 1, Season 2 was okay and after that it became less stable. I enjoyed parts of the last few seasons but I couldn’t say I liked them in full. Hopefully season 6 will be an improvement but honestly I’m not holding my breath.

The 100 Season 3 – I loved both Season 1 and Season 2 of The 100 and it was yet another series that I binged watched, along with Chris. We were late getting into it but once we did, I remember several very late nights, watching “just one more episode”. Season 2 was left on a bit of a cliffhanger so I’ll be interested to see where they take it. A large proportion of the storyline was tied off so its going to have to head in a whole new direction for this new series.

Other notable mentions are; Heroes Reborn (a new/follow-on series to Heroes), NCIS (not top of the list, but I do love it and have seen every season), Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (I lost interest towards the end of series but hopefully this one will be better), Marvel’s Agent Carter (hated the beginning of Season 1 but loved it towards the end – excited to see what comes next).

If you want to have a wide variety of channels and shows to watch at home, you may consider calling your cable tv provider to upgrade your subscription.

Is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to this fall/autumn?

Television Binge – Grimm TV Show

September 10, 2015 by Bel 1 Comment

Do you know your Wieder Blutbad from your Fuchsbau? And your Zauberbiest from your Hexenbiest?

In the past I have written about various TV series, that I’ve gotten into and then binge watched! These have been The Walking Dead, Orange is the New Black, Vikings, Game of Thrones, to name but a few. However this last week I’ve really got into a TV series called Grimm and I’m so excited to tell you all about it!

Grimm first aired in 2011, so I’m definitely behind on the times. However I also think it was probably under advertised in the UK (as a lot of things are) so it was never something I got into. That’s not to say I hadn’t heard of it, because I had, but it wasn’t enough to catch my eye. So when I noticed that Series 1-3 were on Netflix and Series 5 was due to start in October, I decided to give it a go. I’ll admit I watched the first couple of episodes a few months back and it didn’t really grab me, but forcing myself to sit at the table and get work done, I needed something to watch on my iPad. After several consecutive episodes I was sold!

In my opinion, one of the great things about Grimm is that there are LOADS of episodes in a series. Unlike Vikings or Game of Thrones where you get about 10 eps, Grimm has 22 (more like OUAT etc). This means when you binge, you really binge, and I’m absolutely loving that.

Wikipedia describes Grimm as “an American police procedural fantasy television drama series”, while the series itself describes it as “a cop drama—with a twist… a dark and fantastical project about a world in which characters inspired by Grimms’ Fairy Tales exist”. I have no idea what procedural means (and I can’t be bothered to look it up) but I assume both are basically describing what awesome means ;) The series follows someone called Nick, a cop with a partner called Hank. In the first episode or two, its revealed that Nick has a special sort of talent… which later becomes known as being a Grimm. He uses this “job”, alongside his cop role, to rid the world (specifically Portland) of bad guys and monsters. There are other main characters such as Sean, Juliette and Monroe (he’s my favourite) and more join as the series goes on. I really don’t want to spoil it too much for you, so I’m not going to go into any detail.

Series One was a great scene setter. I was engaged in all the episodes, especially as deeper plots unfolded. The end of series one finale was amazing too and – the second thing I enjoy about binge watching – I went straight on to watch Season Two, desperate to know what happened!

I have to admit I found Season Two a little frustrating at times. Again without spoiling too much, at the end of Series One there is a cliff-hanger regarding Juliette, that leads into Season Two. I felt some of her plot line (memory loss) went on far too long and I ended up googling to see how far through the series it was before her memory came back!! It turned out it was about episode 18 so I did feel that season dragged a bit. Finally it got good again towards the end and the season finale was good too (though not as gripping as season one). That said I still went on to watch the next series straight away.

I’m currently on episode 14 of Season Three, so over half way through. I like season three a lot more than season two and I almost feel desperate to watch more! Yesterday I had Nat over and it meant I didn’t end up watching any. Today I’m writing this post and working on some Closet Geek projects, so I’m the same today! All regular TV watching in hold right now as all I want to watch is Grimm! If you haven’t seen it, I definitely recommend giving it a go – though do be warned it is a little dark and does have a bit of gore at times. On the whole when the kids are about, I pause it when they come in and out of the room. I think they’d be okay with it, but since some of the murders can be a bit gruesome, I’d rather be safe than sorry!

NBC is even suggesting “binge watching Season 4” on their website and I definitely hope I can do this in the next few days. It will be so hard watching one epsiode per week once I’ve caught up but its been really great getting here!

The 100 – TV Series

October 22, 2014 by Bel 2 Comments

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Today I want to tell you all about an awesome TV show called “The 100“. It was originally aired in March 2014, over in America, with a finale aired in June 2014. Of course, in typical UK style, we’re behind the times and it wasn’t shown here until a few months ago, the finale airing just a couple of weeks back.

When this show was advertised, I hadn’t heard anything about it. I didn’t know it had already shown in America and I had no idea of the storyline. The trailers looked interesting an as it had a sort of space theme, added with mysterious island – well I figured I would give it a go. Week after week, the recordings piled up on the Sky Box but neither Chris nor I suggested watching it. We had a lot of other TV to watch anyway, but because we didn’t really know anything about the show, there was no pull to watch it either. Anyway, eventually we got around to the first episode and to be absolutely honest – I thought it was pretty dire. It seemed like a lot of teenage drama, very angsty and though it had a semi-decent plot, I wasn’t sold. However we stuck with it, the following day watching the next episode. Episode two seemed a bit more interesting and both Chris and I were keen to watch the third episode immediately after. The following day we watched four more episodes, then four more… before we knew it, we were completely sucked in. In less than a week we watched the whole series – watching the finale episode within 2-3 days of when it actually aired on UK TV. I immediately rushed to Google, making sure it had been renewed for a second series and when that might be. That was when I discovered it had already aired ages ago in the US and was actually due to start again soon.

Basically, that’s my reason for making this post today. October 22nd is the day that Season 2 of The 100 begins in the US. I am super excited and I can’t wait to find out when we’ll get it over here in the UK. But anyway… I should probably tell you a little bit about the actual series.

The series is set 97 years after a devastating nuclear war wiped out almost all life on Earth. The only known survivors are the residents of twelve space stations in Earth’s orbit prior to the war. The space stations banded together to form a single massive station named “The Ark”, where about 2,400 people live. Resources are scarce and all crimes no matter their nature or severity are punishable by death (“floating”) unless the perpetrator is under 18 years of age. After the Ark’s life support systems are found to be critically failing, one hundred juvenile prisoners are declared “expendable” and sent to the surface in a last ditch attempt to determine if Earth is habitable again. The teens arrive on a beautiful planet they’ve only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. However they discover that not all humanity was wiped out. There are people on Earth who survived the war, called “grounders” by the 100.

If you were a fan of “Lost“, I most definitely recommend that you watch this series. Not only is Earth very similar to the Lost island, but also the ever lovely Des (Henry Ian Cusick) appears in the show as Marcus Kane. Other favourites of mine definitely include Lincoln (Ricky Whittle) and Anya (Dichen Lachman). A lot of the cast, really growns on you – even though at times you think they might not.

As I mention, the series has been renewed for a second season, beginning tonight in the US. There are 13 episodes in Season 1 that you can get your teeth into though, and trust me the season was left on a great cliffhanger so you’ll be desperate to jump into the next season. If you need any more convincing it has a 7.5 rating on IMDB, which is pretty damn good, especially after just one season.

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