Tory MPs finally losing patience with Williamson and the DfE. Their email inboxes must be red hot with complaints from parents - even the Jezza Vine phone in on Radio 2 was struggling to find anyone demanding schools be kept open.
Note that the government has never posted any detail of the numbers of teacher infections and deaths - despite being thus being repeatedly requested by teachers’ representatives.
Which suggests to me the the insistence that “schools are completely safe” is, if not an absolute lie, then one of those statements politicians don’t care if it’s true or not.
My University did for our staff - most we ever got to was 4 positive cases in a week, and that included 2 who had gone on a dirty weekend to Cornwall.
"Dirty weekend to Cornwall" - was this part of HMG's valiant efforts to save the hospitality sector?
You would have thought they would have kept to themselves rather than seek out the few Cornish with Covid. Unless it was actually a swingers weekend.
I think the entire South West engages in swinging.
It is the only explanation for why so many people from the South West use the greeting 'Alright my lover'.
Lets wait and see how Christmas numbers pan out. What we can say is Germany is no longer in the premier League of COVID response countries.
I think we've never really been up there. The Premier League was always Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and - yes - China.
Don't forget Australia and New Zealand.
Correct, that was lazy.
I think you were a bit unfair about Germany. Germany's initial response was very good. Lots of testing, closed the borders, lockdown fairly quickly. Not dissimilar to say Australia.
Then came the summer and it has been a series of missteps, from foreign holidays to diet lockdown.
Perhaps more importantly, maybe much more importantly, we now know British Supercovid has been in Germany since November.
If it is concealed but widespread there that would explain almost everything. Standard lockdowns cannot beat Supercovid.
The report is 'A Case in Hannover' and one in Frankfurt.
What I don't know is whether other countries are doing their PCR testing on the same selection of sequences as the UK. We've had a small stroke of fortune in that one of the three COVID virus strands we test for gives a negative result on PCR. This we can go back and retrospectively map in great detail, even apart from our sequence analysis capabilities, exactly where and when the new variant arose and in what frequency, just from our normal lab testing.
If any country does their own testing against that sequence, they should be able to know exactly the evolution of Supercovid in their country. That it hasn't emerged tells of something, I'm just not sure what.
That the only country doing enough sequencing is the UK
The "red wall" is not interested in whether Labour votes for the deal or not. It's not going to change anything. As far as most normal people, rather than politics obsessives, are concerned Brexit was done a year ago. People are more interested in COVID and how often they're allowed to see their friends and family.
That said I still think Labour are doing the right thing to vote for the deal. The alternative at this point is "no deal" and the deal is better than that. It's not going to matter though. This is Boris's deal and that's what history will remember.
The other thing about the "Red wall" is that there was still a lot of votes for Corbynism, and a second referendum. Not enough in many seats and perhaps at times in spite of rather than because of Corbyn etc. Nonetheless they stayed loyal. Starmer needs to keep ahold of the bird in the hand while reaching for the one in the Bush.
What Labour needs to remember is that simply winning back all of the 2019 losses isn't enough. We need further gains to form a government, and that means making further inroads in the Midlands and North. My patch - Shipley - is a prime example. We need to understand why a plonker like Philip Davies can easily hold his seat here, and offer a set of policies to appeal to some of those who give him their vote.
And that is just to form a minority government with SNP support. Let's not kid ourselves that it is going to be easy.
I think this correct. The absolute best case scenario for Starmer is probably to get 260-280 seats and form a government with the SNP and the Lib Dems. Although Shipley could go Labour if Labour is level pegging in votes and seats nationally because the Labour vote largely held up there in 2019
I've been watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on Britbox. I've been aware it's a classic and seen bits, but never actually watched the series start to finish. Peerless understated performances from the leads. It felt a real window on that world.
I'm now watching a 1960's scifi drama called Timeslip, about some kids that slip back in time to WW2. Special effects are rudimentary to say the very least, even for the era where such things were pretty much 'trick photography', but it's quite fun. Not sure if I'll see it through.
I absolutely adore the scene where Smiley is questioning Heydon in a mumbly kind of way, cleaning his glasses with his tie and then, as he gets to the key question he puts them on and suddenly Heydon is in the sharpest focus. It was a brilliant piece of direction and cinematography that I first saw a long, long time ago and have never forgotten.
But it is glacially slow, to today's audiences' sensibilities.
I liked the pace.
There is subtlety. Every word carries a meaning. And it is probably Alec Guinness's finest piece to camera.
Although... I didn't like Smiley's People the first time round, but the second time it was maybe better than TTSS.
How can they? There Vote Leave/Boris Johnson rhetoric doesn't match the deal.
Reality doesn't prevent a pushback.
Indeed. They need to start blaming the fishermen.
They already are, and claiming that there are so few we can ignore them. Vidse HYUFD's sudden change of mind over the last 2-3 days. Fisherfolk are obvciously now subversive and treasonous rather than stalwart voters, salt of the, err, North Sea, foundation of SCUP triumph.
It's good that you seem genuinely to care for the plight of Scottish (and who knows, perhaps even English and Welsh) fishermen, but I think you should look beyond the SNP attack lines - which let's face it are made from very shaky ground, aned see what's actually been negotiated. The fact that the EU has introduced a compensation fund worth 5 billion euros for EU fishermen indicates to me that there is now very significant scope for growth in the UK (including of course Scottish) fishing fleets.
How can they? There Vote Leave/Boris Johnson rhetoric doesn't match the deal.
Reality doesn't prevent a pushback.
Indeed. They need to start blaming the fishermen.
They already are, and claiming that there are so few we can ignore them. Vidse HYUFD's sudden change of mind over the last 2-3 days. Fisherfolk are obvciously now subversive and treasonous rather than stalwart voters, salt of the, err, North Sea, foundation of SCUP triumph.
It's good that you seem genuinely to care for the plight of Scottish (and who knows, perhaps even English and Welsh) fishermen, but I think you should look beyond the SNP attack lines - which let's face it are made from very shaky ground, aned see what's actually been negotiated. The fact that the EU has introduced a compensation fund worth 5 billion euros for EU fishermen indicates to me that there is now very significant scope for growth in the UK (including of course Scottish) fishing fleets.
Shouldn't you be arguing this with the actual fishermen who seem quite vocally unconvinced of the sun dappled seas ahead of them?
Surely this must be the LOWEST such gain for Conservatives from constituency boundary changes in a LONG time?
Since WW2 (in some places even before then) inner cities have been losing population, in contrast to population gains in suburbs and exurbs. Which has resulted in regular losses in safe (or at least safe-ish) for Labour, matched by regular gains for Conservatives.
Indeed, most of the political jockeying by the major UK parties - in and out of office - over seats & boundaries and their reallocation and adjustment, has been a direct reflection of this dynamic. Which Tories have tried to hasten, and Labour to delay, for obvious reasons. When push comes to shove, both (and other) parties have sought to gain further advantage - or shield themselves from the blow - via arguments & evidence in their favor before various UK boundary commissions.
BUT this time, the traditional demographic pattern has shifted. Why? Because while the burbs have continued to grow, this has NOT been at as fast a rate as previously, largely due to urban redevelopment, in particular increased housing and demand for more in the cities, by upscale & upwardly-mobile young & young-ish professionals and the like.
Thus the news is NOT that Tories will benefit from boundary changes.
Instead, it is that they will gain way less than in the not-so-distant past.
No, the 1995 review gave the Tories only 7 gains. From 336 to 343. It was apparently the fault of Tory MP Humfrey Malins who was totally useless at getting the best boundaries adopted for the party whereas Labour were more savvy.
I've been watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on Britbox. I've been aware it's a classic and seen bits, but never actually watched the series start to finish. Peerless understated performances from the leads. It felt a real window on that world.
I'm now watching a 1960's scifi drama called Timeslip, about some kids that slip back in time to WW2. Special effects are rudimentary to say the very least, even for the era where such things were pretty much 'trick photography', but it's quite fun. Not sure if I'll see it through.
I absolutely adore the scene where Smiley is questioning Heydon in a mumbly kind of way, cleaning his glasses with his tie and then, as he gets to the key question he puts them on and suddenly Heydon is in the sharpest focus. It was a brilliant piece of direction and cinematography that I first saw a long, long time ago and have never forgotten.
But it is glacially slow, to today's audiences' sensibilities.
I liked the pace.
There is subtlety. Every word carries a meaning. And it is probably Alec Guinness's finest piece to camera.
Although... I didn't like Smiley's People the first time round, but the second time it was maybe better than TTSS.
Someone must have convinced Guinness to play the role in such a dull but fascinating way. I think that has to have been Le Carre.
I've been watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on Britbox. I've been aware it's a classic and seen bits, but never actually watched the series start to finish. Peerless understated performances from the leads. It felt a real window on that world.
I'm now watching a 1960's scifi drama called Timeslip, about some kids that slip back in time to WW2. Special effects are rudimentary to say the very least, even for the era where such things were pretty much 'trick photography', but it's quite fun. Not sure if I'll see it through.
I absolutely adore the scene where Smiley is questioning Heydon in a mumbly kind of way, cleaning his glasses with his tie and then, as he gets to the key question he puts them on and suddenly Heydon is in the sharpest focus. It was a brilliant piece of direction and cinematography that I first saw a long, long time ago and have never forgotten.
But it is glacially slow, to today's audiences' sensibilities.
I liked the pace.
There is subtlety. Every word carries a meaning. And it is probably Alec Guinness's finest piece to camera.
Although... I didn't like Smiley's People the first time round, but the second time it was maybe better than TTSS.
The wordless opening of TT which immaculately conveys all their characters is absolutely peerless.
How can they? There Vote Leave/Boris Johnson rhetoric doesn't match the deal.
Reality doesn't prevent a pushback.
Indeed. They need to start blaming the fishermen.
They already are, and claiming that there are so few we can ignore them. Vidse HYUFD's sudden change of mind over the last 2-3 days. Fisherfolk are obvciously now subversive and treasonous rather than stalwart voters, salt of the, err, North Sea, foundation of SCUP triumph.
It's good that you seem genuinely to care for the plight of Scottish (and who knows, perhaps even English and Welsh) fishermen, but I think you should look beyond the SNP attack lines - which let's face it are made from very shaky ground, aned see what's actually been negotiated. The fact that the EU has introduced a compensation fund worth 5 billion euros for EU fishermen indicates to me that there is now very significant scope for growth in the UK (including of course Scottish) fishing fleets.
Shouldn't you be arguing this with the actual fishermen who seem quite vocally unconvinced of the sun dappled seas ahead of them?
Um, No? I'm responding to a point someone has made on a message board with a point of my own. I don't know any Scottish fishermen (I know a retired trawlerman but probably not well enough to bend his ear about Brexit).
As for being vocally unconvinced, I don't blame leaders of industry bodies for campaigning from a 'maximalist' standpoint for their members. I hope they will also support their members who want to expand their operations in future - though I doubt we'll hear soundbites about it on the news.
Really enjoying this prediction series - Alastair's effort seems very plausible to me.
I can't agree though that Labour are dangerous and incompetent.
Alastair rightly picks out March, Sept and Dec as the moments when Boris messed up. In March Starmer wasn't saying much (but he was fighting a leadership campaign to be fair).
As soon as he heard the scientific advice for September, he called for action and broke with the govt. And in December he was ahead of the curve and calling for action.
The action he called for in September was proven to be ineffective in Wales though
He's generally taken the position of being a shade stricter than the government, which is great politics.
It was effective and would have been more effective still if implemented when recommended. It was not sufficient on its own.
Generally though I suspect that Starmer would not have been strict enough to get us to a really good outcome.
I am astonished that within the British Isles there are administrations which think that this is a good time to suspend test reporting for a day or two (or more) because of holidays. England hasn't, Guernsey (six cases in total) hasn't, Wales, NI & Scotland have all had breaks.
The German numbers have not gone from averaging 25,000/day before Christmas to 11,000 overnight and any reporter who thinks that should be in another job.
I've been watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on Britbox. I've been aware it's a classic and seen bits, but never actually watched the series start to finish. Peerless understated performances from the leads. It felt a real window on that world.
I'm now watching a 1960's scifi drama called Timeslip, about some kids that slip back in time to WW2. Special effects are rudimentary to say the very least, even for the era where such things were pretty much 'trick photography', but it's quite fun. Not sure if I'll see it through.
I absolutely adore the scene where Smiley is questioning Heydon in a mumbly kind of way, cleaning his glasses with his tie and then, as he gets to the key question he puts them on and suddenly Heydon is in the sharpest focus. It was a brilliant piece of direction and cinematography that I first saw a long, long time ago and have never forgotten.
But it is glacially slow, to today's audiences' sensibilities.
I liked the pace.
There is subtlety. Every word carries a meaning. And it is probably Alec Guinness's finest piece to camera.
Although... I didn't like Smiley's People the first time round, but the second time it was maybe better than TTSS.
The wordless opening of TT which immaculately conveys all their characters is absolutely peerless.
It is a truly great series. I've watched it 3 times and back before catch up was available I would have prioritised the latest episode over going to a party with Halle Berry on a promise. Although I never did have to make such a decision.
I am astonished that within the British Isles there administrations that think that this is a good time to suspend test reporting for a day or two (or more) because of holidays. England hasn't, Guernsey (six cases in total) hasn't, Wales, NI & Scotland have all had breaks.
The German numbers have not gone from averaging 25,000/day before Christmas to 11,000 overnight and any reporter who thinks that should be in another job.
I think it's the reporting (by public health authorities) that's suspended, but not the testing. Expect higher numbers after the holidays.
I am astonished that within the British Isles there administrations that think that this is a good time to suspend test reporting for a day or two (or more) because of holidays. England hasn't, Guernsey (six cases in total) hasn't, Wales, NI & Scotland have all had breaks.
The German numbers have not gone from averaging 25,000/day before Christmas to 11,000 overnight and any reporter who thinks that should be in another job.
I think it's the reporting (by public health authorities) that's suspended, but not the testing. Expect higher numbers after the holidays.
We're in the middle of a f***ing pandemic, you would have thought that public health authorities would naturally work over Christmas.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front. I can't think of another show I would recommend.
Agreed. Queen's Gambit stands out particularly starkly because there is no competition. Partly that's down to Covid, I guess, but that can't explain it all. A dud year in the Golden Age.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front. I can't think of another show I would recommend.
Agreed. Queen's Gambit stands out particularly starkly because there is no competition. Partly that's down to Covid, I guess, but that can't explain it all. A dud year in the Golden Age.
I think the golden age is over. Few really.top notch shows over the past few years. Many have either just become utter shit e.g. Westworld or are plodding ok e.g. Bosch (which just hired half the cast of the Wire and the Shield).
Few very absolute unmissable shows currently in the rotation.
How can they? There Vote Leave/Boris Johnson rhetoric doesn't match the deal.
Reality doesn't prevent a pushback.
Indeed. They need to start blaming the fishermen.
They already are, and claiming that there are so few we can ignore them. Vidse HYUFD's sudden change of mind over the last 2-3 days. Fisherfolk are obvciously now subversive and treasonous rather than stalwart voters, salt of the, err, North Sea, foundation of SCUP triumph.
It's good that you seem genuinely to care for the plight of Scottish (and who knows, perhaps even English and Welsh) fishermen, but I think you should look beyond the SNP attack lines - which let's face it are made from very shaky ground, aned see what's actually been negotiated. The fact that the EU has introduced a compensation fund worth 5 billion euros for EU fishermen indicates to me that there is now very significant scope for growth in the UK (including of course Scottish) fishing fleets.
Shouldn't you be arguing this with the actual fishermen who seem quite vocally unconvinced of the sun dappled seas ahead of them?
Um, No? I'm responding to a point someone has made on a message board with a point of my own. I don't know any Scottish fishermen (I know a retired trawlerman but probably not well enough to bend his ear about Brexit).
As for being vocally unconvinced, I don't blame leaders of industry bodies for campaigning from a 'maximalist' standpoint for their members. I hope they will also support their members who want to expand their operations in future - though I doubt we'll hear soundbites about it on the news.
Funny, the BBC in Scotland, the Fisherman’s Friend, have been pumping out fishy soundbites continuously for years. Not sure why that would change, unless the fishermen unhappy about Brexit narrative is suddenly not to their taste.
Lets wait and see how Christmas numbers pan out. What we can say is Germany is no longer in the premier League of COVID response countries.
I think we've never really been up there. The Premier League was always Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and - yes - China.
If you believe the Chinese figures then I have some magic beans to sell to you.
Add an order of magnitude and they still look splendid.
You are talking about the nation that is systematically wiping out the Uighurs and denying it.
They have no credibility.
I firmly agree that there will be a correlation between credibility, in any regard, and the understanding - and practice - of the rule of law and democracy, as it is common in 'our' part of the world, but I'm not quite sure how strong that correlation is and how to compute an accurate estimate of distortion from there. Russia has corrected its stats by a factor of three recently. What's your guess for China? More than an order of magnitude, two?
No-one has died in China from Covid-19 since April according to the official figures.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front. I can't think of another show I would recommend.
Agreed. Queen's Gambit stands out particularly starkly because there is no competition. Partly that's down to Covid, I guess, but that can't explain it all. A dud year in the Golden Age.
I think the golden age is over. Few really.top notch shows over the past few years. Many have either just become utter shit e.g. Westworld or are plodding ok e.g. Bosch (which just hired half the cast of the Wire and the Shield)
Far too early to say that. Also, expectations are simply so much higher now, given how much brilliant TV drama we have enjoyed in the last 10-15 years. If we get 3 or 4 years in a row like this (presuming the plague goes away) then I might agree with you.
I do agree about Westworld, however. It must have set some kind of world record, for the worst ever second season following a brilliant first season.
I don't normally think of Mr Leonard as being a Yorkshireman. (Certainly not compared to the faction behind his rival in the leadership election some years back). But to use the word 'Puritan' in a Scottish context ...!
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Anyone interested in an analysis of the final chess match in TQB might be interested in the Croatian analyst's YouTube channel, Agadmator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIMaTKOZG-8
He reviews real chess tournament matches, but because of interest, reviewed the Harmon vs Borgov match from the series.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front. I can't think of another show I would recommend.
Agreed. Queen's Gambit stands out particularly starkly because there is no competition. Partly that's down to Covid, I guess, but that can't explain it all. A dud year in the Golden Age.
I think the golden age is over. Few really.top notch shows over the past few years. Many have either just become utter shit e.g. Westworld or are plodding ok e.g. Bosch (which just hired half the cast of the Wire and the Shield)
Far too early to say that. Also, expectations are simply so much higher now, given how much brilliant TV drama we have enjoyed in the last 10-15 years. If we get 3 or 4 years in a row like this (presuming the plague goes away) then I might agree with you.
I do agree about Westworld, however. It must have set some kind of world record, for the worst ever second season following a brilliant first season.
MindHunters is another example. Season One brilliant, with incredible recreations of interviews with real serial killers, season two, so.shit, it has bascially gone from Netflix top show to effectively cancelled.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front. I can't think of another show I would recommend.
Agreed. Queen's Gambit stands out particularly starkly because there is no competition. Partly that's down to Covid, I guess, but that can't explain it all. A dud year in the Golden Age.
I think the golden age is over. Few really.top notch shows over the past few years. Many have either just become utter shit e.g. Westworld or are plodding ok e.g. Bosch (which just hired half the cast of the Wire and the Shield)
Far too early to say that. Also, expectations are simply so much higher now, given how much brilliant TV drama we have enjoyed in the last 10-15 years. If we get 3 or 4 years in a row like this (presuming the plague goes away) then I might agree with you.
I do agree about Westworld, however. It must have set some kind of world record, for the worst ever second season following a brilliant first season.
MindHunters is another example. Season One brilliant, with incredible recreations of interviews with real serial killers, season two, so.shit, it has bascially gone from Netflix top show to effectively cancelled.
Nothing else for it, they'll have to do a second series of Chernobyl after all.
How can they? There Vote Leave/Boris Johnson rhetoric doesn't match the deal.
Reality doesn't prevent a pushback.
Indeed. They need to start blaming the fishermen.
They already are, and claiming that there are so few we can ignore them. Vidse HYUFD's sudden change of mind over the last 2-3 days. Fisherfolk are obvciously now subversive and treasonous rather than stalwart voters, salt of the, err, North Sea, foundation of SCUP triumph.
It's good that you seem genuinely to care for the plight of Scottish (and who knows, perhaps even English and Welsh) fishermen, but I think you should look beyond the SNP attack lines - which let's face it are made from very shaky ground, aned see what's actually been negotiated. The fact that the EU has introduced a compensation fund worth 5 billion euros for EU fishermen indicates to me that there is now very significant scope for growth in the UK (including of course Scottish) fishing fleets.
Irish fishermen certainly don't think it's a win for them.
Hang on, if they had Cockney Covid in Germany in November - was that before we had Cockney Covid? Are we going to have to concede we were behind the curve - and they actually had Kraut Covid first?
I've been watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on Britbox. I've been aware it's a classic and seen bits, but never actually watched the series start to finish. Peerless understated performances from the leads. It felt a real window on that world.
I'm now watching a 1960's scifi drama called Timeslip, about some kids that slip back in time to WW2. Special effects are rudimentary to say the very least, even for the era where such things were pretty much 'trick photography', but it's quite fun. Not sure if I'll see it through.
I too have been re-watching TTSS after 40 years. I drool over incidental footage of 70s London - the city I learned to love before I tired of her 30 years later. The city of Routemasters, red phone boxes, green goddesses, big hair, people smoking. Episode 1 kicks off with a panning shot of Piccadilly Circus and in the bottom corner a paper-seller's billboard proclaims "Tory Revolt Grows". A glimmer of encouragement, perhaps, for those who have decided that the Tories are always revolting.
Another good series for nostalgic footage of London is Widows.
How can they? There Vote Leave/Boris Johnson rhetoric doesn't match the deal.
Reality doesn't prevent a pushback.
Indeed. They need to start blaming the fishermen.
They already are, and claiming that there are so few we can ignore them. Vidse HYUFD's sudden change of mind over the last 2-3 days. Fisherfolk are obvciously now subversive and treasonous rather than stalwart voters, salt of the, err, North Sea, foundation of SCUP triumph.
It's good that you seem genuinely to care for the plight of Scottish (and who knows, perhaps even English and Welsh) fishermen, but I think you should look beyond the SNP attack lines - which let's face it are made from very shaky ground, aned see what's actually been negotiated. The fact that the EU has introduced a compensation fund worth 5 billion euros for EU fishermen indicates to me that there is now very significant scope for growth in the UK (including of course Scottish) fishing fleets.
Irish fishermen certainly don't think it's a win for them.
The Dutch and French fishermen are also complaining. I think fisherpeople are like farmers: complaining is what they do best. I don't know why.
Anyway, if the deal has managed to annoy and disappoint every fishing community in northwest Europe, that probably means it is a reasonable compromise.
I've been watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on Britbox. I've been aware it's a classic and seen bits, but never actually watched the series start to finish. Peerless understated performances from the leads. It felt a real window on that world.
I'm now watching a 1960's scifi drama called Timeslip, about some kids that slip back in time to WW2. Special effects are rudimentary to say the very least, even for the era where such things were pretty much 'trick photography', but it's quite fun. Not sure if I'll see it through.
I too have been re-watching TTSS after 40 years. I drool over incidental footage of 70s London - the city I learned to love before I tired of her 30 years later. The city of Routemasters, red phone boxes, green goddesses, big hair, people smoking. Episode 1 kicks off with a panning shot of Piccadilly Circus and in the bottom corner a paper-seller's billboard proclaims "Tory Revolt Grows". A glimmer of encouragement, perhaps, for those who have decided that the Tories are always revolting.
Another good series for nostalgic footage of London is Widows.
The titles of The London Programme do it for me, esp w the LWT jingle first
Didn't the mid-90s boundary reforms help Labour rather than the Tories?
From memory because Mandelson helped organise and ensure contributions to the Commission to help (by UK not US standards) gerrymander the seats to Labour's advantage.
Yes, the "notional" seat numbers (which were used for comparison between the 1992 and 1997 elections) were CON 343 LAB 273 LD 18 OTH 25 which was a Conservative overall majority of 27 based on the increase in MP numbers from 650 to 659.
Using the notional numbers meant Labour's seat number increased by 145, the LDs by 28 while the Conservatives fell by 178 but that wasn't a reflection of actual gains and losses on the night.
I don't normally think of Mr Leonard as being a Yorkshireman. (Certainly not compared to the faction behind his rival in the leadership election some years back). But to use the word 'Puritan' in a Scottish context ...!
I guess the recent Unionist cunning plan that the Union can only be saved by a SLab revival is being shiftily kicked under the carpet.
Anyone interested in an analysis of the final chess match in TQB might be interested in the Croatian analyst's YouTube channel, Agadmator:
He reviews real chess tournament matches, but because of interest, reviewed the Harmon vs Borgov match from the series.
There is an interview between the actress and a real female chess champion that is quite interesting.
Apparently the actress is a dancer so she learned the games for the show like choreography, especially the speed chees moves
I found The Queen's Gambit so compelling and authentic I presumed, by the end, that it must have been based on an amazing true story (a story I had somehow missed, even though I was interested in chess as a boy/youth)
So I did some googling, and of course it is all total fiction. And yet, by then it didn't matter. The entertainment value was so high. Every little detail was nailed into place, perfectly.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
I bring bad news: The Third Day is terrible. Jude Law is not a great actor, but even by his lowish standards, the final episode is cringingly awful.
Surely this must be the LOWEST such gain for Conservatives from constituency boundary changes in a LONG time?
Since WW2 (in some places even before then) inner cities have been losing population, in contrast to population gains in suburbs and exurbs. Which has resulted in regular losses in safe (or at least safe-ish) for Labour, matched by regular gains for Conservatives.
Indeed, most of the political jockeying by the major UK parties - in and out of office - over seats & boundaries and their reallocation and adjustment, has been a direct reflection of this dynamic. Which Tories have tried to hasten, and Labour to delay, for obvious reasons. When push comes to shove, both (and other) parties have sought to gain further advantage - or shield themselves from the blow - via arguments & evidence in their favor before various UK boundary commissions.
BUT this time, the traditional demographic pattern has shifted. Why? Because while the burbs have continued to grow, this has NOT been at as fast a rate as previously, largely due to urban redevelopment, in particular increased housing and demand for more in the cities, by upscale & upwardly-mobile young & young-ish professionals and the like.
Thus the news is NOT that Tories will benefit from boundary changes.
Instead, it is that they will gain way less than in the not-so-distant past.
Didn't the mid-90s boundary reforms help Labour rather than the Tories?
From memory because Mandelson helped organise and ensure contributions to the Commission to help (by UK not US standards) gerrymander the seats to Labour's advantage.
The notionals had Con +7 and Lab +2, but the Tories were expecting to do much better than that, similar to 1983 when they got a big advantage, so Labour were regarded by most people as the winners of the review.
Anyone interested in an analysis of the final chess match in TQB might be interested in the Croatian analyst's YouTube channel, Agadmator:
He reviews real chess tournament matches, but because of interest, reviewed the Harmon vs Borgov match from the series.
There is an interview between the actress and a real female chess champion that is quite interesting.
Apparently the actress is a dancer so she learned the games for the show like choreography, especially the speed chees moves
I found The Queen's Gambit so compelling and authentic I presumed, by the end, that it must have been based on an amazing true story (a story I had somehow missed, even though I was interested in chess as a boy/youth)
So I did some googling, and of course it is all total fiction. And yet, by then it didn't matter. The entertainment value was so high. Every little detail was nailed into place, perfectly.
I think many of the games are based on real games, albeit 'improved' upon with the help of computer programmes (after all, Gary Kasparov was a consultant for the series), and some of her habits are amalgams of habits of real chess masters from the past.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
I bring bad news: The Third Day is terrible. Jude Law is not a great actor, but even by his lowish standards, the final episode is cringingly awful.
That’s annoying, because one thing I haven’t seen in a while is a proper thriller. We seem to have forgotten, as a culture, how to make them.
This has been a consistent line of attack on Sturgeon from across the political spectrum for a good while now.
I think there may be a grain of truth in it - she does appear to have somewhat controlling tendencies as seen in some legislation.
However, under the current circumstances, that's probably a good thing.....and Mr Leonard might have more profitably spent his time repeating her request to "Hogmanay at home'
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
The Night Of and When they See Us outstanding this year.
Anyone interested in an analysis of the final chess match in TQB might be interested in the Croatian analyst's YouTube channel, Agadmator:
He reviews real chess tournament matches, but because of interest, reviewed the Harmon vs Borgov match from the series.
There is an interview between the actress and a real female chess champion that is quite interesting.
Apparently the actress is a dancer so she learned the games for the show like choreography, especially the speed chees moves
I found The Queen's Gambit so compelling and authentic I presumed, by the end, that it must have been based on an amazing true story (a story I had somehow missed, even though I was interested in chess as a boy/youth)
So I did some googling, and of course it is all total fiction. And yet, by then it didn't matter. The entertainment value was so high. Every little detail was nailed into place, perfectly.
I think many of the games are based on real games, albeit 'improved' upon with the help of computer programmes (after all, Gary Kasparov was a consultant for the series), and some of her habits are amalgams of habits of real chess masters from the past.
Yes, that's what I read. They went to extraordinary lengths to get the chess right. Even when 99.998% of the audience wouldn't have a clue either way.
But the same level of detail was applied to the costumes, dialogue, interiors. A masterpiece, I think.
And they cleverly wove in real chess characters like Spassky to make it give it even more verisimilitude
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
I am on only on Series 3 of The Crown, great fun I think. I love Tommy Lascelles
I mean to watch The Third Day, but havent got rounds to it. Used to love Curb, but a while ago I started to find I couldnt stand the non stop arguing! Made me anxious, so I haven't seen it in years
Gangs of London was the worst thing I think I have ever seen, but it did make me realise that, in order to do a London gangster impression, you just repeat what people say to you back to them in the form of a question, as if you are utterly baffled by what they said, raising your voice towards the end - I did so for weeks and my missus was locked in the house with me, so she found it quite annoying
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
The Night Of and When they See Us outstanding this year.
When They See Us was 2019. But I agree it was stunning TV, if a tiny bit polemical.
I do think the hospital & MP concerned could have worked on the communication - "queue up at 3pm for left over vaccine" isn't a message you want getting out.
This has been a consistent line of attack on Sturgeon from across the political spectrum for a good while now.
I think there was even a bit of bleating on here about the pubs and restaurants of Edinburgh not being allowed to let rip for the festive period. No names, no pack drill since it’s Christmas.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
The Night Of and When they See Us outstanding this year.
When They See Us was 2019. But I agree it was stunning TV, if a tiny bit polemical.
The Night Of was about 4 years ago. My Dad and I watched it when he was recouperating from having his knee replaced
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
Each to their own, of course, but The Detectorists is in a whole different class to Last of the Summer Wine. I found the latter truely cringeworthy whereas we loved The Detectorists. Still, if you watched the first few and didn't like it, it's probably not for you.
We enjoyed Mrs. America - a great evocation of changing social attitudes and politics in the 70s.
I wondered where this account spring from and just by the name alone it had the stench of bullshit.
Indeed. It seems to be equal opportunities shit stirring - previously I thought (from the name and initial Tweets posted here) it was a Corbynista account but now it just seems to be run by some rather nasty people either way.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
The Night Of and When they See Us outstanding this year.
When They See Us was 2019. But I agree it was stunning TV, if a tiny bit polemical.
I have to admit, I turned it on, it felt a bit wokey, and I turned it off after 5 mins.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
The Night Of and When they See Us outstanding this year.
When They See Us was 2019. But I agree it was stunning TV, if a tiny bit polemical.
It seemed to be polemical in the way that the depiction in Small Axe of 70/80s racism in London was polemical. Ie pretty close you the truth.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 in a similar vein although a teeny bit stagey (ie perfect speeches).
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
I bring bad news: The Third Day is terrible. Jude Law is not a great actor, but even by his lowish standards, the final episode is cringingly awful.
That’s annoying, because one thing I haven’t seen in a while is a proper thriller. We seem to have forgotten, as a culture, how to make them.
Bodyguard is really rather good. Not genius, but a highly watchable thriller, nonetheless
The Third Day has so many problems it is hard to know where to start. It was a queasy remake of the Wicker Man mixed with Broadchurch, like mixing offal with ice cream.
I do think the hospital & MP concerned could have worked on the communication - "queue up at 3pm for left over vaccine" isn't a message you want getting out.
Doesn't happen. Any "left over doses" go to the NHS staff manning the vaccine dept.
I do think the hospital & MP concerned could have worked on the communication - "queue up at 3pm for left over vaccine" isn't a message you want getting out.
Doesn't happen. Any "left over doses" go to the NHS staff manning the vaccine dept.
That can only surely happen on the first few days - after a while all those manning the vaccine roll-out will have had theirs.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
I bring bad news: The Third Day is terrible. Jude Law is not a great actor, but even by his lowish standards, the final episode is cringingly awful.
That’s annoying, because one thing I haven’t seen in a while is a proper thriller. We seem to have forgotten, as a culture, how to make them.
Bodyguard is really rather good. Not genius, but a highly watchable thriller, nonetheless
The Third Day has so many problems it is hard to know where to start. It was a queasy remake of the Wicker Man mixed with Broadchurch, like mixing offal with ice cream.
Bodyguard was huge fun, but two years ago! Jed Mercurio needs to pull his finger out.
If you know any other thriller-writers, will you tell them get their skates on?
The best TV drama of 2020, without question. Superb in every department. Well done that man
Although, 2020 has on the whole been particularly shit on tv front.
I very much enjoyed “Plot Against America”. I feared it would be cliched tripe, but it was saved by a David Simon script and great acting.
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
I forgot I had watched that, and not because it I though it forgettable!
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
Queen’s Gambit was excellent, but not perfect. (Slightly hackneyed first episode!).
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
The Night Of and When they See Us outstanding this year.
When They See Us was 2019. But I agree it was stunning TV, if a tiny bit polemical.
It seemed to be polemical in the way that the depiction in Small Axe of 70/80s racism in London was polemical. Ie pretty close you the truth.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 in a similar vein although a teeny bit stagey (ie perfect speeches).
It was close to the truth from the perspective of the wrongly accused boys, but I was quite uncomfortable with the way it glossed over the actual crime. A real woman WAS really beaten and raped, by a murderous gang, and left for dead in Central Park. Her story was essentially ignored. Hmm.
Still a notably fine piece of TV.
Speaking of racial polemics, I confess I am enjoying Bridgerton on Netflix, even though it has revealed to me a startling fact, that the population of aristocratic late Georgian London was about 30% black.
I do think the hospital & MP concerned could have worked on the communication - "queue up at 3pm for left over vaccine" isn't a message you want getting out.
Doesn't happen. Any "left over doses" go to the NHS staff manning the vaccine dept.
That can only surely happen on the first few days - after a while all those manning the vaccine roll-out will have had theirs.
I am on standby each day for a call from my wife telling me that the hospital where she works is looking for people to use up the leftover thawed vaccine for precisely that reason. Most of those in the hospital who are not on the top priority list have already had the opportunity to use up leftovers.
Comments
https://youtu.be/8e1xvyTdBZI
Although... I didn't like Smiley's People the first time round, but the second time it was maybe better than TTSS.
https://twitter.com/BrunoBrussels/status/1344007247802871816?s=20
https://www.theoldie.co.uk/article/the-covid-jab-just-a-little-prick-theodore-dalrymple
https://twitter.com/tom_nuttall/status/1343975791953121281?s=20
https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1343971303473229826?s=20
https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1343971305796857856?s=20
https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1343971307981950976?s=20
A very fine piece of acting.
As for being vocally unconvinced, I don't blame leaders of industry bodies for campaigning from a 'maximalist' standpoint for their members. I hope they will also support their members who want to expand their operations in future - though I doubt we'll hear soundbites about it on the news.
Generally though I suspect that Starmer would not have been strict enough to get us to a really good outcome.
The German numbers have not gone from averaging 25,000/day before Christmas to 11,000 overnight and any reporter who thinks that should be in another job.
Unfortunately that seem to include most journalists these days.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsForAlI/status/1344015745898971136?s=20
I am 4/5 the way through Steve McQueen’s Little Axe movies.
The latter is an outstanding artistic achievement. The New York Times placed every single one of the five movies on their Best Films of 2020 list.
Not a drama but still one of the best TV series I have ever seen. Magnificently entertaining.
Few very absolute unmissable shows currently in the rotation.
- See a number
- Story!
They are following the old CNN routine (in effect) "Don't fuck a story by researching it too much"
Far too early to say that. Also, expectations are simply so much higher now, given how much brilliant TV drama we have enjoyed in the last 10-15 years. If we get 3 or 4 years in a row like this (presuming the plague goes away) then I might agree with you.
I do agree about Westworld, however. It must have set some kind of world record, for the worst ever second season following a brilliant first season.
It will never be bettered.
He reviews real chess tournament matches, but because of interest, reviewed the Harmon vs Borgov match from the series.
We loved The Queens Gambit, & Normal People too. I also discovered Detectorists and The Crown, so quite an enjoyable tv year
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/brexit-taoiseach-concedes-eu-uk-deal-will-have-negative-impact-on-fishing-industry-1.4446471
Anyway, if the deal has managed to annoy and disappoint every fishing community in northwest Europe, that probably means it is a reasonable compromise.
Apparently the actress is a dancer so she learned the games for the show like choreography, especially the speed chees moves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPa1RFAivy4
Using the notional numbers meant Labour's seat number increased by 145, the LDs by 28 while the Conservatives fell by 178 but that wasn't a reflection of actual gains and losses on the night.
So I did some googling, and of course it is all total fiction. And yet, by then it didn't matter. The entertainment value was so high. Every little detail was nailed into place, perfectly.
The Crown is mostly high class fluff, but utterly addictive. I actually thought this season the best of them all so far, and the Charles-Diana story very well done.
I saw the first few episodes of the Detectorists and I know it has its fans, but it seems to be a bit of a Last of the Summer Wine rehash to me.
Mrs America is surely worth watching for PB fans. Cate Blanchett is worth the price of admission alone; it’s a wonderful ensemble piece and Tracey Ullman has a great part too.
I May Destroy You feels amazingly fresh and authentic but maybe a bit self-indulgent and too long?
I haven’t seen “The Third Day” with Jude Law, set on Osea, but hear good things. Apparently the serial killer doco “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was also excellent.
There were new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, and Ozark this year.
Uncomfortable at times (yes @Luckyguy1983 it can be important) but utterly brilliant and compelling.
Who imports a table, assembles it, then re-exports it?
Do we have IKEA importing flat packs from Sweden to the UK in order to be assembled then shipped off to Ireland for sale pre-built?
https://twitter.com/PoliticsForAlI/status/1344012215423262726
https://twitter.com/RossFootball/status/1344015124005326849
It was a great coming of age film based around chess and you really didn't need to know the game, that said.
However, under the current circumstances, that's probably a good thing.....and Mr Leonard might have more profitably spent his time repeating her request to "Hogmanay at home'
But the same level of detail was applied to the costumes, dialogue, interiors. A masterpiece, I think.
And they cleverly wove in real chess characters like Spassky to make it give it even more verisimilitude
I mean to watch The Third Day, but havent got rounds to it. Used to love Curb, but a while ago I started to find I couldnt stand the non stop arguing! Made me anxious, so I haven't seen it in years
Gangs of London was the worst thing I think I have ever seen, but it did make me realise that, in order to do a London gangster impression, you just repeat what people say to you back to them in the form of a question, as if you are utterly baffled by what they said, raising your voice towards the end - I did so for weeks and my missus was locked in the house with me, so she found it quite annoying
And British!
We enjoyed Mrs. America - a great evocation of changing social attitudes and politics in the 70s.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 in a similar vein although a teeny bit stagey (ie perfect speeches).
The Third Day has so many problems it is hard to know where to start. It was a queasy remake of the Wicker Man mixed with Broadchurch, like mixing offal with ice cream.
Jed Mercurio needs to pull his finger out.
If you know any other thriller-writers, will you tell them get their skates on?
Still a notably fine piece of TV.
Speaking of racial polemics, I confess I am enjoying Bridgerton on Netflix, even though it has revealed to me a startling fact, that the population of aristocratic late Georgian London was about 30% black.