[malcolmfrost]

As it's on Prime it possibly counts!
"I Care a Lot" film with Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage. Disturbing!!

[Rob P]

The Investigation, (BBC4) gets good reviews starring Juul and Fris!

Good call. Just watched it over three nights. Spellbinding!

Rob P

[nallen]

As it's on Prime it possibly counts!
"I Care a Lot" film with Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage. Disturbing!!

Just read the Guardian review of that, which was almost enough to persuade me to get a Prime subscription …

[flybymike]

As it's on Prime it possibly counts!
"I Care a Lot" film with Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage. Disturbing!!

Highly watchable but then I always did fancy Rosamund.

[Buzzc150]

I haven’t read through the whole thread so apologies if these have been mentioned but some of my favourite shows from the lockdown season ;

Black Mirror (possibly the best TV show ever)
Norsemen (a dark and silly comedy)
Queens Gambit
The Crown
Space Force (under rated comedy)
Seinfeld (yeah, I know I’m 30 years late but I just got round to it for the 1st time)
Episodes (very funny)
Cobra Kai (for children of the 80’s like me)
The Good Place
Breaking Bad
And all the Ricky Gervais ones ; After Life, Derek, Extras

Edited to add ; Ted Lasso and The Orville both on Apple TV.

[kanga]

For dinosaur Forumites who receive only Freeview and free streaming, like us, ..

Thursday 25 February, Talking Pictures, 1455, repeat of

School for Secrets (1946)

Somewhat fictionalised account of a bunch of misfits, civil and military, brought together to develop Radar during WW2. Directed by Peter Ustinov, featuring also Richard Attenborough, Ralph Richardson, and other greats of that generation

[Rob P]

Breaking Bad
And all the Ricky Gervais ones

You see, up to this point I was with you.

But after general acclaim here I exchanged valid flying tokens for Breaking Bad Series One and was bored witless for my pains.

As for Gervais....

Rob P

[GrahamB]

@Rob P
After Life really is good. It’s nothing like what he’s done before, and I’d recommend giving the first episode a try before writing it off.

[Rob P]

Fair enough. But the first fifteen minutes is all he's allowed for past awfulness

Rob P

[Rjk983]

I found “night bomber” quite by accident on Amazon Prime last night. It’s a 1 hour original colour film of the day in the life of a Lancaster on a raid to Berlin. There are some bits that are obviously studio shots but it is generally very good. It looks like it was released from crown copyright in the mid eighties and this looks a bit like a VHS a copy but it’s well worth an hour of your life.

Certainly better than that idiot gervais

[Rob P]

Oddly I watched that in full for the first time a few days ago. Most WW2 documentaries on Bomber Command include the taxiing Lancaster squadrons clip.

It was largely shot on rare colour stock by Air Commodore Henry Cozens during his time as CO at RAF Helmswell, May to November 1943.

Cozens had quite a career being heavily involved in Spitfire development in the early war and going on to serve in senior rank after the conflict.

Having taken command of No 19 Squadron, the previous year, he heard in 1938, that his neighbouring unit at Duxford, No 66 was to be equipped with the first examples of the Supermarine Spitfire to enter RAF Service. Determined to gain this honour for his own squadron, he was able to influence certain persons at the Air Ministry to have the decision changed. Together with Sqn Ldr J L F Fuller-Good, OC No 66 Squadron, he wrote the report which resulted in the early modifications to the Spitfire, including constant speed propellers, revised canopy, improved oil seals for the engine and improved gearing for the starter motor.

During WW2, whilst in command of the Base at Hemswell, he made the only colour movie film of Lancaster operations entitled 'Night Bombers', now available on video. From 1969 - 1990, he was the Vice-President of the British Schools Exploring Society.

Well worth watching, with huge sadness knowing that most the men (boys) filmed had very little of their lives remaining.

Rob P

https://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Cozens.htm

[Propwash]

I recorded a documentary called just "RAF" on Talking Pictures last week and watched it over the weekend. It was filmed in 1935 and detailed all the various branches, their work and training, both ground and aerial. What was particularly striking was the antiquity of the aircraft designs just 4 years before the start of WW2, even though they were described as though they were cutting edge, and the faith of the commentator in the ability of day bombers to defend themselves against hostile fighters. Given that all the crew, including the gunners, were exposed to the elements I wouldn't have given much for their chances. It really did reinforce in my mind how complacent the country had become in the inter-war years and the tremendous luck it had that modern aircraft like the Spitfire and Hurricane became operational in the nick of time. The difference in aircraft design and capability just 10 years later at the end of the war was astounding progress when compared to how little they had really changed between the end of WW1 and when the 1935 film was shot. Worth a look if it comes around again.

PW

[kanga]

..a documentary called just "RAF" on Talking Pictures ..filmed in 1935 ... What was particularly striking was the antiquity of the aircraft designs ..

Yes, very interesting film.

Although, by 1935, there were already much more modern designs in service or on order: Gladiators (with enclosed cockpits, 4 guns, faster, had flown), Hurricanes (monoplane 8-gun retractable, first flight 1935), both into service 1937, rather than Furies. Rather than the open cockpit and gunner positions training bomber shown (HP Hinaidi ?), Overstrand (enclosed cockpit and front gun turret) had started to replace Sidestrand (opens) in 1934, Hampden Wellesley and Whitley (monoplane bombers), were soon to fly; and AM Spec of 1932 gave rise to the Wellington. Monoplane Bombay (transport/bomber, first flight 1935) was about to start replacing the biplane Vernon and Valentia. A 1933 AM Spec gave rise to the monoplane, enclosed cockpit and turrets, Sunderland replacing the biplane (opens) Singapore .. AM was seriously looking ahead.

I suspect there may have been at least 2 factors in already obsolescent types being shown:

a. older types are (still ) routinely kept in training unit service long after they, or their technologies, have been superseded on the front line; and

b. already an element of 'security-mindedness' about current or imminent capabilities with prospects of another European war in the minds of military commanders and some politicians long before it was in those of the general public.

[I was also interested to note that the narrator did not bother to comment on the turbanned Sikh Officer Cadet at Cranwell undergoing pilot training. It would be more than 10 years before US military, under President Truman's EXecutive Order and against considerably public and military resistance, ordered desegregation of military units ]

[Propwash]

I was also amused by the emphasis on tight formations by the fighter squadrons. That didn't survive long after hostilities started. I found the whole hour fascinating.

PW

[Paul_Sengupta]

I'm not sure why, but it seemed to be RAF night on TV last night, with two separate programmes on the Battle of Britain and one on the Dambusters.

https://www.channel5.com/show/the-battle-of-britain-3-days-that-saved-the-nation/
https://www.channel5.com/show/the-dambusters/

Can't remember where the other BoB one was but it was the one with interviews with lots of pilots from both sides.