Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits. This so-called recurring post is certainly becoming quite irregular, as It’s been over a year since I wrote the last instalment of The Idiot Box. I noted back then how I was watching less television and to be frank that hasn’t really changed. Although there are plenty of well written and entertaining shows out there, too often choosing to watch one effectively places you in an opened ended social contract. For example, I watched the first season of The Agency, which is a superior espionage drama. It ended with the main story completed and a few plot lines open for another season. A second season has just been released and I have learned from a blog post by Wilhelm Arcturus, that this season ends on a cliffhanger. Oh dear. Do I really want to get on another TV show treadmill? Nope. I like TV shows that have self-contained seasons. So I guess I’ll be skipping The Agency. Shame. I liked the Jack Black cover of a U2 song that they use on the title credits. Alien Earth. It’s amazing how various writers have tied themselves in knots over the years, trying to retcon the lore of the original Alien film, so they can crowbar the Xenomorph into other settings. Alien Earth does this fairly well. Bringing not only a Xenomorph back to earth but a host of other beasties. There’s also an interesting subplot where a billionaire is trying to supersede the existing Synthetic technology (human androids) by transferring a human mind into a totally artificial body. There are interesting performances by Timothy Olyphant, Babou Ceesay and rather incongruously, Adrian Edmondson. All of whom play either synthetics or cyborgs. There’s lots of unpleasantness as well, mixing CGI and traditional practical visual effects. The show certainly captures the visual style of the original 1979 film. Mock the Week. The BBC in a fit of cutting off their own nose to spite their face, cancelled this topical news comedy panel show because of complaints about inclusivity and it being part of a wider comedy circuit gravy train. The former could have been addressed easily but they chose not to. Subsequently TLC has resurrected Mock the Week with broadly the same panel members, and ensured that there’s broader representation. Problem solved. Beyond this, the format is same as its always been and the show is still funny, with everyone riffing off each other. Furthermore it now runs longer, clocking in at 45 minutes, sans adverts. Dark Winds. Season 4 proved to be as equally engaging as the previous three. This time Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) of the Navajo Tribal Police, investigates a missing teenager who has run away from a Convent school. He subsequently crosses paths with a professional killer (Franka Potente) who becomes obsessed with him. Meanwhile Sergeant Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) attempts to get in touch with his cultural heritage that he has broadly dismissed since the death of his Mother. As ever, the seventies setting is well realised, the Navajo culture is fascinating and there are some very clever “needle drops”. This show can be a tough watch due to the systemic bigotry of the era but performances are universally good and the standard of writing is high. NB Season 4 of Dark Winds features the last appearance by actor Udo Kier. The American Revolution. Once again, documentary maker Ken Burns takes a subject that is usually presented in simple and binary terms and meticulously dissects it over 12 hours. As per usual, Burns draws heavily from documents and letters from the time in question which are superbly narrated by various Hollywood luminaries. Specific characters are followed throughout the historical narrative, giving the events a very human face. The traditional focus on the British Empire and the revolutionaries is expanded by including the perspectives of enslaved people, free Black Americans, Native Americans, women, and Loyalists. Hence there is far more to this period of history than you expect. It’s very telling that within months of the war ending, trade with the UK resumed, showing what interests were ultimately driving events. Law & Order. I thought this show had been cancelled for good circa 2010. Turns out the network revived it in 2022, so I’ve been slowly catching up. In many respects this show is the TV equivalent of comfort eating. It follows a reliable formula, with a crime being committed, the subsequent police investigation and then the resulting trial. Often there are surprises or twists and the subject matters tend to be very topical. The cast keeps changing but the show handles this ebb and flow of characters quite well. In the latest season, David Ajala joined the cast as Detective Theo Walker. It would appear that Reid Scott will be leaving the show at the start of season 26 in September. Plot wise, EADA Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy) is currently having an interesting story arc with his somewhat fixed moral outlook proving an ill fits for the transactional nature of the US legal system. DA Nicholas Baxter (Tony Goldwyn) is also making enemies in Washington by not acquiescing to “suggestions” to drop certain cases. It’s the sort of TV show where you know exactly what your getting but its still done to a standard and is never lazy. Permalink