feels like its professed strangeness is not at all strange and quite a dull strate extrapolation of current elements that don't cohere into something other than being direct refs of those elements.
for this week's episode this post is otm, especially as the way the main plot ended (before the epilogue thing) is something that happens in democracies all the time without the involvement of a cartoon bear
― book itchy (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 28 February 2013 09:35 (eleven years ago) link
Aren't these supposed to be exaggerated parables of things that happen all the time though? Brooker's whole thing, from Newswipe to Black Mirror is about pointing out the hypocrisy and foibles of politics and the media, particularly in relation to modern technology. It might not be as deep and clever as you would like it to be but given the remit, it succeeds.
― lo! dating (dog latin), Thursday, 28 February 2013 10:18 (eleven years ago) link
this one just seemed pointless though. the story could have been told without a cartoon bear and it wouldn't have lost anything at all.
every s1 episode was clever in a near-future (or even distant future) context, that required a dramatic heightening of the technology that was at the core of each story. this week's episode could have featured sooty for all the difference it would have made.
― book itchy (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 28 February 2013 11:11 (eleven years ago) link
i mean i don't expect brooker to read my posts and go 'oh okay, that's what my show is about is it, best get cracking then', i just don't see why he would use such an ingenious premise to tell a very dull contemporary story.
― book itchy (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 28 February 2013 11:14 (eleven years ago) link
1. social media obsession quickly builds political/media crisis, couldn't have been told without the existence of social media
2. man earns credits to something something, couldn't have been told without constant connectivity, the rising trend of micropayments etc.
3. facebook taken to a logical extreme, couldn't have been told without facebook existing in the first place
4. woman fucks robot, couldn't have been told without the existence of social media
5. perpetual justice as theme park, probably could have been told without the growing obsession with videophones but arguably not
6. comedian dons a bear suit, enters politics
― book itchy (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 28 February 2013 11:21 (eleven years ago) link
I think the cartoon bear was either an analogue for "personality" politicians like Boris Johnson (who says the most outright shit things all the time but people love him for being edgy and "telling it like it is" even though what it "is" isn't all that much at all. That or it's a semi-autobiographical comment on his own life and career - Brooker started out as an amusing video game and TV columnist but has for better or worse been turned into a current affairs pundit.
― lo! dating (dog latin), Thursday, 28 February 2013 11:22 (eleven years ago) link
errr, close bracket in there somewhere
― lo! dating (dog latin), Thursday, 28 February 2013 11:24 (eleven years ago) link
but i see what you mean - arguably the story could have been told in the 60s with a guy in a bungle outfit, yeah.
― lo! dating (dog latin), Thursday, 28 February 2013 11:25 (eleven years ago) link
DL I thought it might be partly autobiographical too- guy achieves sort-of fame by sneering at everything, realises he doesn't use it for good, I dunno
― kinder, Thursday, 28 February 2013 13:18 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.ashleyhames.tv/sites/default/files/images/news%20bunny%20flyer.jpg
― a phenomenological description of The Eagles (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 28 February 2013 13:20 (eleven years ago) link
It's also a comment on how a very fluffy, lovable fascia can be used to manipulate public opinion, from politics to brand packaging. "How can you hate on Ronald McDonald or Mickey Mouse when they bring joy to millions of children?" etc.. when it's really just a marketing team using the character as a mouthpiece. I thought the TV exec guy was perfectly cast too - so many of these big bollock jack-the-lad media types walking around.
― lo! dating (dog latin), Thursday, 28 February 2013 13:35 (eleven years ago) link
dl: i really hope it's the former (boris johnson) because the latter (autobiographical) would be wanky enough to eclipse everything he has ever done
re marketing team with a mouthpiece: it felt to me like that was completely derailed by the whole comedian-can't-control-his-emotions scene. i get why that had to happen, but it still looked quite pathetic; at that point i lost any personal investment i might have had in the character.
― book itchy (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 28 February 2013 20:43 (eleven years ago) link
what was the deal with the cia agent? i did not understand his agenda at all.
another interesting premise with zero idea of how to end it :(
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 3 March 2013 23:22 (eleven years ago) link
That's been the problem with all of these. Every single episode sounds good as part of a capsule-form rant but they feel vastly overstretched as TV episodes. It's as though he either didn't have enough ideas to fill a 45 minute show while simultaneously not having enough time to fully explore them.
― seasonal dog served on a bed of creative latin (dog latin), Monday, 4 March 2013 11:28 (eleven years ago) link
I haven't actually seen any of these, but from what's been said, they sound like "Demos"..
― Mark G, Monday, 4 March 2013 12:10 (eleven years ago) link
.. like, "Take them to the "band" to put more flesh on them and fill them out, properly"
― Mark G, Monday, 4 March 2013 12:11 (eleven years ago) link
A film that somehow incorporated a few of these ideas might not be a bad idea. Think Brooker's definitely got an eye for good ideas but he needs a collaborator to optimise them properly. That Dead Set thing from a few years ago is the prime example.
― dog latin, Monday, 4 March 2013 12:23 (eleven years ago) link
ideas
― dog latin, Monday, 4 March 2013 13:16 (eleven years ago) link
DL'ed this; I really liked most of these. Merits and Blue Bear I thought were the obvious low points, so it's interesting to see the different opinions; The Entire HIstory of You was by far the best, not surprising it's been optioned but I don't know what another hour of the story would actually add, it was just about perfect as it was.
― akm, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 15:09 (eleven years ago) link
that's only series one... there are 3 more.
― koogs, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 15:14 (eleven years ago) link
I thought there were only 2 series and six episodes?
― akm, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 15:16 (eleven years ago) link
yes, 3 more episodes.
― koogs, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 15:34 (eleven years ago) link
i'm not sure what you mean. I've seen all six.
― akm, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 17:11 (eleven years ago) link
another interesting premise with zero idea of how to end it
super true. lot of these seem to limp towards a conclusion. was constantly expecting a big flashy twist/pay-off, but it rarely came - or if it did it was rushed and heavy-handed (cf merits). pig fucker one was worst for a dribble of an ending, no real revelation other than CB had a neat idea and failed to run far enough with it. having said that, s2e2 with the justice park had a strong ending but the whole spittle-flecked MAKES YOU THINK aspect tainted it
thought entire history of you was best, beautifully filmed/acted/plotted though i was left wanting a more substantial ending.
hated merits, such a snobby pompous premise (like gervais's toe-curling 'soaring' monologue in that final ep of extras), smugly acted and directed. too much graphic design, not enough heart - and what was the deal with the 'ordinary' looking girl who taught strong silent hero guy to pinch apples? baffled by what purpose she served. interesting to see konnie helped co-write that, wonder what exactly she did. also noteworthy that by far the best one was written by jesse armstrong, not brooker. someone said above that sam bain was involved in that one too, is that correct?
still though, great to see a uk twilight zone style series that is mostly great. if this becomes a regular series and brooker hands over the writing reins to his peers & betters more often, then we could end up with something truly astounding.
― NI, Monday, 6 May 2013 02:30 (eleven years ago) link
^^^ hair-era Brooker's lazy stench is all over this show. He needs to be promoted to exec producer pronto.
― food and boardgames and minimal techno (NotEnough), Friday, 10 May 2013 13:38 (eleven years ago) link
really enjoy this program.
― hoospanic GANGSTER musician (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Friday, 10 May 2013 14:16 (eleven years ago) link
watched season one. 'The Entire History Of You' is instant classic science fiction, filled with so many horrifying details. Most films running with the scenario would build the plot around the totalitarian aspects, and I basically assumed this was going to follow the lead of a film like Gattica, opening with scenes of an annual performance review hinging on managers rescreening his last year's worth of life, or going to the airport & getting his last week of life ffwded through on a tiny screen by a stranger at customs, but instead they get all of that out of the way in the first five minutes and move on to relationships. the density of the script, the number of scenarios they play out in the way a couple's arguments will progress given instant access to recordings of every second of each other's lives -- replaying micro-clips, edited to make their points, forcing people to watch things, demanding to see the other's memories. definitely needs to get mentioned in conversations with things like Coming Apart / The Conversation / Brainstorm.
the other two episodes I was far less impressed with, just as brutal but with far less insight or detail. but even though this thread doesn't make it seem like season two picks up the slack, still worth watching.
― Milton Parker, Monday, 30 September 2013 18:17 (ten years ago) link
interesting that was the only one brooker didn't write. it was jesse armstrong from peep show (being made into a robert downy jr film iirc)
― NI, Monday, 30 September 2013 20:19 (ten years ago) link
but yeah, classic science fiction. like i said above, would be so great if the uk produced a series to rival 50s twilight zone - quite possible off the back of TEHOY, but not so much the rest
― NI, Monday, 30 September 2013 20:20 (ten years ago) link
Watched the first two last night - the first is good, audacious, etc.; but the second is goddamned draining and exhausting. Can't wait to watch the third tonight.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Thursday, 19 December 2013 16:29 (ten years ago) link
'The Entire History of You' is the high point of the series. even though it's a living nightmare, anyone who uses a computer should watch it.
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 19 December 2013 20:49 (ten years ago) link
I like the second one because I like that song that sounds a bit like the flamingos.
― a beef supreme (dog latin), Friday, 20 December 2013 00:46 (ten years ago) link
finally broke down and T0RR3nt333333333DDDDddddv v curious
― Strangers look on with a discernible, barely contained ‘wow’. (forksclovetofu), Friday, 3 January 2014 17:52 (ten years ago) link
i mean as much web love as this got in 2013 it is amazing it has pretty much no US distribution
― Strangers look on with a discernible, barely contained ‘wow’. (forksclovetofu), Friday, 3 January 2014 17:56 (ten years ago) link
It is weird that Netflix US couldn't make this deal happen. Mirror, Shadow Line, Utopia ... I mean if they can get Engrenages they should have been able to get this going
― Brakhage, Friday, 3 January 2014 21:34 (ten years ago) link
I kind wish Brooker would intro each ep on the DVD with cig in hand Rod Serling-style
― Brakhage, Friday, 3 January 2014 21:59 (ten years ago) link
Maybe it'll show up on Youtube complete. The 2013 Wipe and 25 Games specials are both on there, which is how I got to watch them from over here without torrenting.
― An Android Pug of Some Kind? (kingfish), Friday, 3 January 2014 22:07 (ten years ago) link
yeah not sure why neither this nor utopia have wound up in the US. I t0rr3nt3d too. they were great.
― akm, Friday, 3 January 2014 22:10 (ten years ago) link
could have something to do with the film option on the one episode that Robert Downey Jr has maybe
iron man shagging a pig
would watch
― ^ sarcasm (ken c), Friday, 3 January 2014 23:31 (ten years ago) link
jesus christ the pig fucking episode
― Strangers look on with a discernible, barely contained ‘wow’. (forksclovetofu), Friday, 3 January 2014 23:48 (ten years ago) link
what in the fuck
White Christmas, 16th December, ch4
― koogs, Friday, 5 December 2014 21:03 (nine years ago) link
That was pretty good.
― ewar woowar (or something), Tuesday, 16 December 2014 22:35 (nine years ago) link
Yeah, nice format, unusual for TV.
― koogs, Tuesday, 16 December 2014 22:59 (nine years ago) link
Not mind blowing but, you know, a decent hour and a half of television.
― ewar woowar (or something), Tuesday, 16 December 2014 23:09 (nine years ago) link
can't wait to see this, just rewatched the first 2 series over the weekend.
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 17 December 2014 00:39 (nine years ago) link
this was pompous sophomoric trenchant social commentary bullshit just like the one episode of this I endured a few years back (and nearly everything the nearly useless charlie brooker produces) but it's improved slightly in terms of watchability
― tl;dr, gukbar, morbis detrius (wins), Wednesday, 17 December 2014 00:54 (nine years ago) link
Not avail legally in the U.S.?
― calstars, Wednesday, 17 December 2014 03:16 (nine years ago) link
netflix streaming.
― a stupid red mute juggalo (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 17 December 2014 05:57 (nine years ago) link