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Andy K (10821 KP) rated Diagnosis in TV
Sep 2, 2019
Fascinating and emotional TV
I never scroll through Netflix since I hate it so very much (I digress), but I did today so they got me.
I found this new very interesting and emotional docuseries about Dr. Lisa Sanders who writes a column called "Diagnosis" in the New York Times that she decided to take online to try and find a global "diagnosis" or answer for people with very rare and unusual medical conditions who are desperate and at the end of their rope to try and find answers.
Once published hundreds of responses pour in from both average people who maybe have been effected by a similar condition or their family has as well as various medical professionals spanning the globe with various replies. The results are then tabulated and discussed with the patient as far as possible treatment options.
The description sounds exploitative, but I don't believe it is. There is a disclaimer on the front of each episode saying everyone should consult their own medical professional before starting any treatment. The show is certainly made for entertainment, but also to inform and enlighten.
The result is gripping and emotional seeing those who have long suffered rare conditions and have been through the medical system only to be frustrated with a lack of treatments or even knowing what their condition is.
I cry during emotional commercials on television, so it doesn't take much for me to start balling. I was swept up in this show almost immediately even though I am only a few episodes in.
OK fine Netflix has one good show! 😜
I found this new very interesting and emotional docuseries about Dr. Lisa Sanders who writes a column called "Diagnosis" in the New York Times that she decided to take online to try and find a global "diagnosis" or answer for people with very rare and unusual medical conditions who are desperate and at the end of their rope to try and find answers.
Once published hundreds of responses pour in from both average people who maybe have been effected by a similar condition or their family has as well as various medical professionals spanning the globe with various replies. The results are then tabulated and discussed with the patient as far as possible treatment options.
The description sounds exploitative, but I don't believe it is. There is a disclaimer on the front of each episode saying everyone should consult their own medical professional before starting any treatment. The show is certainly made for entertainment, but also to inform and enlighten.
The result is gripping and emotional seeing those who have long suffered rare conditions and have been through the medical system only to be frustrated with a lack of treatments or even knowing what their condition is.
I cry during emotional commercials on television, so it doesn't take much for me to start balling. I was swept up in this show almost immediately even though I am only a few episodes in.
OK fine Netflix has one good show! 😜
Kelly (279 KP) rated Spartacus - Season 1 in TV
Dec 21, 2018
Gladiators (1 more)
Great fighting scenes
Much better than the 1960 film
Who would have thought that the story of Spartacus could have been made raunchy for a modern audience, but Starz did this really well. The general facts around the slave rebellion against the Romans, led by the former gladiator Spartacus are limited, however Starz used what information there was and filled in the rest to create a believable version of the tale.
I know that around the release of the series, there was a lot of talk about the use of CGI in the show, mainly during the battle scenes, with the appearance of animated blood splatters/slashes, similar to that shown in the film 300. This use seemed to have divided the audience into either ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’. Personally, I feel that this was the unique selling point of the show- something different that we are not used to on the TV screen, I felt it helped made the show more watchable.
For me Andy Whitfield made Spartacus (and his loss was noticed in the later series of the show). His love towards wife Sura is clear throughout series one, and gave us a believable reason as to why he allowed himself to be manipulated by Batiatus. He was also supported by a number of well cast actors including Manu Bennett (Crixus) and Peter Mensah (Oenomaus), by the end of the series, we find that we really care about these characters.
The reason that I have not rated the show higher, is the casting of John Hannah as Batiatus. John Hannah is a good actor, but I felt the role was not suited to him. To me, Batiatus needed to be a little crueler and more angry, at the end of the day, he was profit and power hungry, and willing to give the lives of men in order to pay the cost of his personal success. There were times, when I did not believe that this was what John Hannah was portrayed, and there was an awkwardness around some of his scenes (particularly those where there were a lot of swearing).
Overall, despite the odd flaw, I really enjoyed watching Spartacus (and have happily purchased the complete box set for re-watching in future) .
I know that around the release of the series, there was a lot of talk about the use of CGI in the show, mainly during the battle scenes, with the appearance of animated blood splatters/slashes, similar to that shown in the film 300. This use seemed to have divided the audience into either ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’. Personally, I feel that this was the unique selling point of the show- something different that we are not used to on the TV screen, I felt it helped made the show more watchable.
For me Andy Whitfield made Spartacus (and his loss was noticed in the later series of the show). His love towards wife Sura is clear throughout series one, and gave us a believable reason as to why he allowed himself to be manipulated by Batiatus. He was also supported by a number of well cast actors including Manu Bennett (Crixus) and Peter Mensah (Oenomaus), by the end of the series, we find that we really care about these characters.
The reason that I have not rated the show higher, is the casting of John Hannah as Batiatus. John Hannah is a good actor, but I felt the role was not suited to him. To me, Batiatus needed to be a little crueler and more angry, at the end of the day, he was profit and power hungry, and willing to give the lives of men in order to pay the cost of his personal success. There were times, when I did not believe that this was what John Hannah was portrayed, and there was an awkwardness around some of his scenes (particularly those where there were a lot of swearing).
Overall, despite the odd flaw, I really enjoyed watching Spartacus (and have happily purchased the complete box set for re-watching in future) .
MI
My iPad Mini
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Covers iOS 6 Step-by-step instructions with callouts to iPad mini photos that show you exactly what...
The Starfolk Arcana (The Starfolk Trilogy #1) by Martha Dunlop
9.0
Rate It
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Destiny calls. Soulmates draw closer. One woman stands in the way. Beth trusts her psychic...
Urban Fantasy Paranormal
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Stargate Atlantis in TV
Dec 5, 2017 (Updated Dec 5, 2017)
A very worthy spinoff
For most film and tv shows, spinoffs tend to be a very poill Stargate Atlantis, which is a very entertaining and fantastic show in its own right.
Like SG-1, it’s packed full of sci-fi and action, as well as humour. They’ve tried to follow the same formula as SG-1, and it really works. The majority of the main characters are just as likeable as their SG-1 counterparts, McKay being my personal favourite. However some of the other characters I feel are a little weak, like Teyla who is a poor match to Carter or even Teal’c.Weir as well doesnt live up to O’Neill or Hammond.
The wraith are a terrifying new enemy, although I think some of the physical makeup and effects perhaps let them down. Especially watching it recently, it does look a little bit naff.
Like SG-1, it’s packed full of sci-fi and action, as well as humour. They’ve tried to follow the same formula as SG-1, and it really works. The majority of the main characters are just as likeable as their SG-1 counterparts, McKay being my personal favourite. However some of the other characters I feel are a little weak, like Teyla who is a poor match to Carter or even Teal’c.Weir as well doesnt live up to O’Neill or Hammond.
The wraith are a terrifying new enemy, although I think some of the physical makeup and effects perhaps let them down. Especially watching it recently, it does look a little bit naff.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Hoarders in TV
Feb 20, 2019
A unique representation of the human condition
It's hard to believe that human beings can hoard. The act of keeping things just to keep them. What goes through their minds?
They sometimes live in filth, human and animal waste, their homes toppling from within. Do they not see it? I know it's a disease like alcoholism or OCD, but it just pains me yet fascinates at the same time.
I find it so interesting to watch through the TV lens at those who are different than me. It makes me think my life isn't as bad as I think it is and I feel like I want to help them.
This show has been on 10 years now and it never fails to amaze me. I sometimes weep as I see how others live and that their families cannot even help them sometimes.
They sometimes live in filth, human and animal waste, their homes toppling from within. Do they not see it? I know it's a disease like alcoholism or OCD, but it just pains me yet fascinates at the same time.
I find it so interesting to watch through the TV lens at those who are different than me. It makes me think my life isn't as bad as I think it is and I feel like I want to help them.
This show has been on 10 years now and it never fails to amaze me. I sometimes weep as I see how others live and that their families cannot even help them sometimes.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Alternative 3 in TV
May 4, 2019 (Updated May 4, 2019)
One of the great TV hoaxes, from back when such things were still considered an acceptable jape. Made, for the most part, with great care and attention to detail, the result is very convincing and unsettling viewing - although the presence of fairly well-known actors in a couple of roles does kind of blow the gaffe a bit, long before the end.
Some people will argue that claims that this is a hoax are just a smokescreen and the makers either stumbled onto the truth or were trying to blow the whistle on a real conspiracy, which is why this show vanished into obscurity for a long while after its transmission. I really don't know, but parts of the story here do seem eerily close to reality, 40 years on, and the questions Alternative 3 raises about how much to trust the media are still pertinent today.
Some people will argue that claims that this is a hoax are just a smokescreen and the makers either stumbled onto the truth or were trying to blow the whistle on a real conspiracy, which is why this show vanished into obscurity for a long while after its transmission. I really don't know, but parts of the story here do seem eerily close to reality, 40 years on, and the questions Alternative 3 raises about how much to trust the media are still pertinent today.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Good Omens in TV
Jun 2, 2019
David Tennant (1 more)
Michael Sheen
I'm not a huge fan of Neil Gaiman (or a fan at all), and I was kind of meh on the novel this is based on. But, when I saw David Tennant and Michael Sheen were cast, I was interested. On a whim, I ended up starting the series last night, and wanted to stay up all night to finish, but didn't.
I liked the series way more than the book itself. I was hooked, and Sheen and Tennant were perfect in their roles. The humor was good, and the casting for the other characters was strong too. Jon Hamm as Gabriel was my other favorite.
Of course, with any TV show, the CGI was shoddy, but it kind of seems like the norm to me. Overall, I'm glad Amazon produced this miniseries, and I may have to watch it again.
I liked the series way more than the book itself. I was hooked, and Sheen and Tennant were perfect in their roles. The humor was good, and the casting for the other characters was strong too. Jon Hamm as Gabriel was my other favorite.
Of course, with any TV show, the CGI was shoddy, but it kind of seems like the norm to me. Overall, I'm glad Amazon produced this miniseries, and I may have to watch it again.
Going Out with a Bang
Criminal psychology has always been a very interesting subject for me. Criminal Minds (an amazing tv show for those of you who haven't heard of it) first introduced me to the subject of profiling which is when you can predict certain characteristics of a person based on the crime committed. It reminds me of Sherlock Holmes and the deductions he makes through his observations. Honestly, when they explain how they got to that conclusion, it always seems so simple, but I would have never been able to guess.
Profiling is now used by lots of detectives to narrow down the suspect pool and to try and give them a lead. But it had to start somewhere, and this case was the one that started it all.
Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2017/01/going-out-with-bang.html
Profiling is now used by lots of detectives to narrow down the suspect pool and to try and give them a lead. But it had to start somewhere, and this case was the one that started it all.
Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2017/01/going-out-with-bang.html
Erika (17788 KP) Sep 3, 2019
Andy K (10821 KP) Sep 3, 2019