UKH

Avenue 5

Iannucci in a new setting. Pretty good.

First episode average, second episode funny, third episode back to average.

For some reason it became more watchable the minute HG admitted he was only a pretend Yank. Perhaps he should apply this elsewhere.

Of interest to lovers of the Scottish countryside,  Frankie Boyle has gone to the graveyard of comedians by doing a show about travel around Scotland... includes a good access piece for climbers and hill walkers and other interesting places and people and some funny rants.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000f1vq/frankie-boyles-tour-of-scot...

I remain totally underwhelmed by Avenue 5 after 3 episodes. It's not completly unfunny, just disappointing. Good Omens remains brilliantly daft.

In reply 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000f1xj/universal-credit-inside-the...

An important documentary series that highlights the gaping holes in the main planned support mechanism for several percent of the UK population.

The guy leading the Civil Service change effort came across as a glib idiot in charge of a team of a few hundred (woefully small given the project size) and proudly displaying his huge project plan multimedia whiteboard (are a mass of pen scribbles and post-it notes really what constitute staff interface for project mangement for one of the biggest government projects in history?). When this is sorted out it should be good for 40 years he says with no sense of the change in the last 40!!!!!

It hadn't dawned on me that individuals would face the hell on earth of applying for jobs 35 hours a week, week in week out until they found one...for one guy interviewed you could almost see his soul leaking (a natural reponse I'd say but one labelled as trouble by staff). Surely a full day a week applying for jobs is enough from a practical perspective so that people can self train skills or do something else that is constructive and good for the soul, like working for free for a charity. When combined with the even more rapacious zero hour culture where jobs are easiest to find you can see how this will all too often end up back where people started. The crying shame of this is the economics: dealing with people in genuine povety isn't cheap, especially those who think 'f*ck it' and turn to crime. 

A report from the Salvation Army was highlighted in the Guardian today. This picked up major points that should have been obvious to anyone with half a brain.

https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/urgent-change-needed-universal-credit

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/11/universal-credit-could-stea...

Dead to Me - Netflix

Was hesitant but came recommended. I am enjoying it and it can be pretty funny. Wife loves it. Not finished though

Premise - widow (Christina Applegate who is excellent) turns up skeptically to a grief group after husband killed in hit and run and is befriended by another woman. Widow feels police doing next to nothing to solve and looks out for dented cars herself. Needless to say, lots of twist and turns and some very funny bits (Will Ferrell is exec producer). All set in a wonderful looking Laguna Beach and has been given green light for second series. Recommended

The Spy - Netflix

Wonderfully shot factual drama about Eli Cohen which I struggled with mainly due to the main character being Borat (in my eyes) which I couldn't shake and therefore struggled to take seriously. Shame 

Curb season 10. prettaaay good

Series 2 of Craith/ Hidden starts tonight in the BBC4 Eurocop slot.

Last series featured Eric Jones' caff, a few shots of Dinas Mot and some of the less touristy parts of Llanberis.

I was in the opening of the first series (part of the MRT searching the river); they film it twice, in Welsh and English so it takes a fair amount of time to film a whole series, but it's fun to see and identify the different locations they've used - several for that first series around Merthyr!

Cheers.. I'd overlooked that. Enjoyed season 1.

Homeland also restarted yesterday on season 8 (Channel 4) and Carrie is recovering from her ordeal in a Russian prison, not fully cleared for work, struggling with her mental health but is desperately needed for an urgent spy role in Kabul, as the US troops are set to be pulled out of Afganistan.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/homeland/episode-guide/series-8

I hope the Brodie kid she's signed over to her sister keeps out of the action . 

I will miss it all when it's over: Carrie's crying face, Saul's high speed shuffle of a walk and more seriously, the directing abilities of Lesley Linka Glatter.

11:14 - short film on My5 now. One of those single incident, multiple perspective things - series of unlikely linked events. See what you think.