The Sinner with Bill Pullman in is similar. The series usually about six? episodes sees the story through to its conclusion. 
2 Likes
Quite enjoyed Halo. Nothing earth-shatteringly new but a well put together space sci-fi show with some fantasy elements.
Also Foundation. Asimov had some great concepts.
The show started out slow and then picked up speed
1 Like
Anything on Netflix? Or, something old which I can dig up on YouTube. 
Big Bang Theory is always good value to rewatch
Netflix is steadily declining
Watched it several times already.
Yeah, nothing decent on Netflix.
Netflix is in a fascinating position. In an industry absolutely hemoraging money (Disney+ and HBO Max are both losing in excess of half a billion $ per quarter), they are currently the only profitable paid streaming service. Yet they are increasingly getting squeezed out. The more the major media companies flesh out their services the more competition there are for sub fees, and each of them are clawing back their own IP they had previously licenced to Netflix having a big impact on the value of the Netflix library. They are responding to the void in their content that is being created by churning out more of its own stuff, but this is necessarily more disposable than what Netflix produced shows were known for being. The result is it is becoming less and less associated with the prestige TV it made its name on while also losing its reliable familiar content. In the US they recently lost subscribers during the run of Stranger Things, still their most reliable hit. Each month they are becoming less and less the service that really drew people to streaming in the first place
For a company that has had so much coverage for being the visionary who killed Blockbuster, it is not out of the realm of possibility that they themselves are not around in 5 years.
2 Likes
I still automatically go on Netflix when I stream.
It’s strange that Netflix gets so much criticism for lack of content when it has more than Disney and Hulu put together. I suppose Disney is good for people who enjoy Marvel but I think it’s all shite.
Disney has all the Star Wars films and spin-offs; it also has every Simpsons episode ever made. Those are two reasons to get it right there.
2 Likes
I’ve got it, but mostly because my wife wants us to have it for the kids. Would be cheaper just to buy Encanto on DVD, given that’s all they ever watch on there but oh well.
2 Likes
Ultimately we will see streaming services enforce 12+ month contracts with so many different streaming services all owning a tiny amount of IP that it forces you to have many different ones to watch new things. They’re already going back to 1 episode per week on new shows to stop people unsubscribing.
Before long it’ll just be an online and fractured version of cable TV.
I know that’s not a groundbreaking revelation but it’s increasingly clear that it is the way it is going.
2 Likes
Its popularity was built on two things - as the first mover it had a relatively open run at licensing other people’s content to become the streaming version of syndication so it had a big library of familiar and popular titles people watched over and again for comfort viewing. It bolstered that with a small number of very highly regarded in house productions. With them having to create its own content to fill the void left by everyone else taking back their own content, I don’t think anyone automatically associates Netflix produced shows with quality anymore. So, of the two pillars they built their brand on, they now have neither. What they’re left with is familiarity and great UI (which is most of the reason I so rarely watch anything on Amazon).
I dont think too many of the other major streamers have got their plan completely figured out (Disney the most among them) and so Netflix has time to pivot and figure out its niche in a squeezed market, but I just everyone else has too much content (Disney also has ESPN, Fox and as such owns about 75% of Hulu. Amazon just bought MGM), too much money, and too much commitment to make it work to not make it work eventually.
1 Like
But much of it isnt good quality. Reminds of going to the video shops in the 80’s to rent a video and you would have a few blockbuster moves and loads of b movie dross in there.
One of the criticisms of Netflix amongst financial analysts is how netflix accounts for lifespan of its products - they have proved to be much shorter than they claim.
1 Like
Agreed, it has got better recently though. Some really good stuff out and coming out soon.
1 Like
yes…with Jessica Biel. great show
1 Like
Regarding Netflix. They’ve got plenty of quality original stuff.
The Sandman, Stranger things, Lost in Space, The Grey man, The Witcher, The umbrella academy, Castlevania, Voltron, Locke & Key…that’s just off the top of my head, I’m sure I’m forgetting other stuff.
Plus the Marvel street-level hero shows they produced are all decent quality of varying degrees led by the excellent Daredevil and The Punisher. Yes, Disney has taken them back but it shows that they can produce quality original content.
I’d add (although not all original content) “The Haunting of…” series, Midnight Mass, a few of the anime series (Demon Slayer, Kotoro, Aggretsuko) Rick and Morty, Timeless, Monty Python and Cobra Kai.
While not all their movies are oscar worthy, they have had quite a few that are. I’ve seen around 30 new movies on Netflix since January which, while mostly only just above average, justify the subscription fee alone.
Not everything is for everyone, but there’s still plenty of quality content.
1 Like
Kotoro Lives Alone is a good one. I loved another one about a high school music club. But good anime are slim pickings.
1 Like
found this very old Taxi clip featuring…Tom Hanks???
and another beauty…
1 Like
What a great shout. I’d forgotten all about ‘Taxi’.
1 Like
I’m completely checked out on HoD. The time jumps are killing it. I get it might have seemed like a good idea on paper, but translated to the screen it’s a disaster.
2 Likes