So, first off: Berlin Station. Berlin Station has been renewed for a second season! Whether Richard Armitage will be part of that remains to be seen. I watch this show solely for Richard now and while I at first was quite intrigued with Berlin Station, my interest has slowly waned. The spying and double agendas and such have become a tad annoying to me. We really continue to know little about the characters, notably Daniel Miller (Richard’s role), and there is so much going on – just when you start to feel invested in one storyline, another is picked up and followed. But I still love the Berlin Station titles sequence with David Bowie’s song (and Bowie songs playing regularly in the background in several episodes), I like that it’s set in Berlin and I think they should have billed Richard Jenkins above Richard Armitage because for me the show is more about Steven Frost than Daniel Miller (and Jenkins totally nails his role!).
Oh, and the Daniel and Esther (!!) fantasy (I ignore the double agendas) is nice to look at… 😉
However, If Daniel Miller doesn’t survive this first season I doubt I will watch the second season.
Next up: A Place to Call Home. A Place to Call Home is nearing the end of season 4 in Australia right now. I love the show, have made fan videos for it, and this past week it was announced that there will be a season 5! The press release says: “Season five will time jump to 1958, where four years have passed since we left Sarah (Marta Dusseldorp) and the Bligh family.” The baddie, Regina (absolutely brilliantly and chillingly acted by Jenni Baird) is so evil – it looks like her end is nearing in season 4, but will she really be defeated?
And will George and Sarah finally be free to marry?
And there are many more questions which will possibly be answered in the final episode of season 4 next week – but what will it all mean for season 5? I’m already stoked for the future of this series!
Also, great news about Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, which is another show I love and have made fan videos for! Miss Fisher will (most probably) be continued in a trilogy of movies! Filming next year for the first movie, with a release in 2018. I really hope this happens, can’t wait to see what’s in store for Phryne Fisher and also Jack Robinson!
Last but not least – in three days the 4 new TV movie episodes of The Gilmore Girls will be released on Netflix! After my recent binge-watch of a lot of the series I am really giddy with anticipation for this one. I hope it can live up to expectations…
Yes, in a time of awful election news and subsequent daily US news that leaves me more and more depressed, these little TV highlights really do cheer me up somewhat!
The Book of Esther 
It’s just interesting how different we all see the same series. I thought BS was not-that-great to begin with, and only watched it for Armitage; and now I think it is getting better (episode 5, slightly unsure about episode 6) and I would like to see it renewed.
I had heard about Miss Fisher from you, and I kind of tuned in (watching while blogging) when my daughter recently watched the two seasons over the course of a few weeks. The relief when the finale of season 2 finally brought the long-awaited kiss ;-). I really liked it, though – it was lavishly produced and finely acted. Didn’t know they were going to turn this into films; my daughter will be thrilled. And I would actually go and watch it with her…
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Actually, I liked episode 5 too! But 6 waned again for me. For a show that’s supposed to be about Daniel Miller we don’t get to know that much about him, or see that much more of him in comparison to other characters, so I was glad when episode 5 gave us more in depth stuff about him! Maybe the trend will continue in future episodes.
As for Miss Fisher – glad you liked it too! How fun that your daughter has been watching it. If she and you only saw 2 seasons, then you must have missed one along the way, as there are 3 seasons in total. Yes, that kiss (end season 3) was loooooong overdue! And then she flew off into the sunset and it all ended without prospects for further episodes… but luckily these movies are now materializing. 🙂
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Couldn’t agree with you more, Esther. That’s exactly what I find the problem with BS. For a show that bills RA at top position and claims Daniel Miller is the main character, there is not enough time given to characterising him. In fact, other characters are much more rounded than he is. Or was, until now.
Oh, I think you are right, it must have been 3 seasons that we watched. I wasn’t 100% on it, and I missed a week while I was away…
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I, too, am a Berlin Station Fan, Guylty–but I appreciate hearing your perspective, Esther. I love that all the characters feel fleshed out–but with more to be revealed. One thing I could do without is all the “F” word vulgarity–which I find distracting. No one I know talks like that. Perhaps the writers need a bit more imagination there in the dialogue, in order to convey “intense negative feelings”. Cheers!
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I do like the slow-reveal aspect but some of it just seems too slow for me (which may be a funny thing to say when some things get quite fast-paced!)… But I think my waning interest also has a lot to do with the genre. I’m just not into spy movies and tv series. I try them, I enjoy them to a certain extent but they don’t hold my attention long. Spooks didn’t do much for me (I like Berlin Station better!) and even James Bond can’t captivate me…
The F… word doesn’t bother me quite so much. In my late teens it was my own favourite go-to curse word until it started feeling very stupid and I hardly ever say it now. I don’t mind others using it, but yeah, overuse isn’t my thing either.
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Totally with you on this, Esther. We’ve seen six hours of this now and we still know nothing about most of the characters and it pushes every “I can’t stand chauvinists button” I have. When I add that to the fact that there’s a monthly price to see it, well, yeah, not interested in continuing unless something changes. We won’t renew EPIX if Armitage isn’t in the next season (and frankly may take a break even if he is, because the rest of the offering is not that robust).
However — gosh has this show reawakened all of my feelings about Germany. I’ve watched pieces of an episode or two with the sound off just to see the Berlin pictures.
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Yeah, Berlin really is a great setting, even though I don’t know Berlin that well. I do love that such a show is set in Germany and they have managed to get some great actors in too. I think all the leads (Armitage, Jenkins, Rhys Ifans, Leland Orser and Michelle Forbes) do great. Even the other actors do really well (like Zahra Armadi as Clare, Mina Tander as Esther or Tamlyn Tomita as Sandra) but the story has lost its grip for me and the characters, though well acted, keep on lacking depth for me. I expect little depth in Hallmark movies, from this expected to get more. Maybe we still will, there are 4 more episodes to go. For me it’s also a spy thing, I just don’t do spy movies well…
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Let me clarify ‘lacking depth’ – the acting goes deep, everyone is pained and acts that really well, but I do not understand yet where they are all coming from and why and because of that, depite their pain, I can’t really feel much for anyone.
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I’m realizing now how well Spooks did this — we knew more about Lucas at the end of two episodes than we do about Daniel Miller after six, and we could say something similar about most of these characters (w/possible exception of Robert Kirsch).
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Yeah, and I feel we know Steven Frost a little better too, even though there is still much to learn.
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Esther, you are still my TV twin! I agree with everything you wrote, except I didn’t find the sex-against-the-wall scene sexy; sex without some measure of affection is a turn-off for me. As for the rest of the Berlin Station, I agree with Servetus that we knew more about Lucas North on Spooks after two episodes than we do about Daniel here. He’s not the protagonist of the story! I think the two main threads are 1) The shenanigans of Frost and Kirsch and 2) Hector and the Thomas Shaw leaks. The actors are doing a terrific job, especially Richard Jenkins, Rhys Ifans and Leland Orser on the male side, and Michelle Forbes on the female side. I cringe every time Daniel has a conversation with anyone and Hector is listening. Why does he trust the guy?! If this show was on a more well-known channel, maybe they’d have a shot at Emmy nominations next year. Most people here have never heard of Epix and – like it’s been mentioned – the pickings are slim; definitely not worth paying for it every month.
Thanks for commenting on the Australian shows. Last week’s episode of A Place To Call Home was one of the best of the entire series. Regina IS a great baddie; so malevolent! I was tense and groaned when it ended in a cliffhanger. I’m so glad to hear there will be another Season!
Please let us know when the Miss Fischer’s Murder Mysteries movie comes out. Everyone should give these two shows a try.
I look forward to your comments on Gilmore Girls. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Hi TV-twin! 🙂
The sex against the wall thing – I found the undressing quite sexy but the actual act looked extremely uncomfortable to me. I agree about the sex without real affection thing, it’s joyless and I’m not a huge fan of that either. In the whole in Berlin Station there is very little real affection, maybe that is what is a little off-putting to me as well.
I really think Jenni Baird deserves awards for her performance of Regina on ‘A Place to Call Home’! The way she plays people to get what she wants, the way she sucks up to George and when his back is turned becomes vicious to the Bligh women or the way she spits the words ‘The Jew’ at Sarah – so malicious and chilling. I have rarely seen a better TV villain, if ever…. And my goodness yes on this past episode! I can hardly wait to see how the finale will play out!
I hope to marathon the Gilmore Girls this weekend – not sure yet if I can but I sure as hell will try. 🙂
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Will Regina have her comeuppance? Will she be stopped in time? Will we make it to Sunday with all our nails intact? The suspense is killing me! ;p
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Have you seen the trailer for the finale? Exciting stuff!!
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OH, MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If she does get away with the baby and they leave us hanging in suspense until Season 5, I may have a mini-stroke! What a great trailer!!! Thank you very much, Esther. xo
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Didn’t know about Miss Fisher, need to check if i can see it here. I am slightly better minded about BS, but haven’t seen 6 yet, i was totally underwhelmed until 4, slightly interested in 4 and interested after 5. Need to watch 6, but even the fact that i am not rushing to see it says something. His books are much better i have to say and Spooks did a million miles better in the genre, much better written. In spite of very interesting themes they just don’t manage to appeal to the viewer enough. I think the sex is probably one of their better made things, it fits the profile and especially circumstances of people involved. It’s an environment of distrust and constant looking over your shoulder, attachments are a no go when you can’t actually trust anyone. It’s pretty much the only closer human connection you can have but deep it isn’t. Where this somehow seems to fail is in getting us closer to the people behind the spies. We can logically follow the struggle with the job challenges but we see very little of the humans behind it and they thoughts and struggles. There is just too much coldness and detachment going on to bring us in. It’s what Spooks was brilliant at (take only Harry for example) and what Bond movies are good at too, there is a reason why we love the guy in spite of his many flaws 🙂 So far the BSt bunch seems to be driven by one thing alone: ambition. It’s neither a very attractive nor a very sympathetic human trait.
I hope ep 5 was a turning point in that, but i get from people’s reactions to 6 that it was not the case.
I will only watch if he is in it, in fact even currently if he wasn’t in an episode i wouldn’t watch.
I’ve just binge-watched 3 episodes of a documentary series about the black history of Britain and i was utterly fascinated in a way i have never been with this series for example. (Black and British- seen it on youtube too ;-))
I will def take your advice about Miss Fisher 🙂
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I agree with the lack of personal involvement on Berlin Station.
As for Miss Fisher – I got the recommendation through (I think) Herba’s blog, glad to pass it on to others! 🙂
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Thanks for recommending ‘Black and British’; right now I’m watching ‘The Crown’, on Netflix. You will not regret watching Miss Fischer’s Mysteries. Well, I’d be surprised if you don’t like it. 😉
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Do you like ‘The Crown’? I am thinking of watching that too. If you like it then I have a feeling I may like it too… 😉
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Really good news. I love miss fisher ❤ und bin sehr gespannt wie es mit der Verrückten in a place… weiter geht 😉
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Die Verrückte ist für jetzt besiegt… aber sie kann immer noch zurückkommen! Eeeeeeek!
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es soll ja auch nicht langweilig werden 🙂
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