Saturday discussion post: recommendations again (65/365)

[white_hart]

Because it's been a while since the last one, and I'm actually looking for recommendations for entertaining, undemanding TV I can watch by myself when T is quizzing. The most recent thing I watched was Bridgerton, which I found myself really enjoying; it was pretty to look at (though this Twitter thread is very illuminating on the subject of bosoms in the show, several of which did look very odd) and entirely unchallenging to watch (though I did keep thinking how much better it would be if it was a big-budget adaptation of the_comfortable_courtesan's memoirs), and I'd really like to find something in the same vein, though not necessarily the same genre. (Given that I also very much enjoyed The Untamed it could be that c-drama or k-drama is the way to go, though I don't really know where to start with that.)

So, what's your current cosy media to relax to?

Comments

[cmcmck]

As Top end hi fi freaks it's always music.

We've been re-playing a lot of 12" albums during all this.

[white_hart]

I actually very rarely listen to music - it stops me being able to read but doesn't occupy my brain enough for me to be not reading.

[cmcmck]

I find I can generally combine both.

We sometimes try to play music that is connected to what we are reading.

[qatsi]

I am enjoying Vera but I'm not sure it's comfort TV. It's like Morse because it's set in the area I grew up. Also The Architecture the Railways Built on Yesterday, though Tim Dunn can be quite annoying in a BBC-Talent kind of way.

[white_hart]

No, I've seen a few episodes of Vera and I quite liked it, but wouldn't call it comfort TV.

[perennialanna]

Mostly Michael Palin exploring places (iPlayer) and Time Team (All4 via the Fire stick). Television of my youth.

[white_hart]

That does sound relaxing!

[sartorias]

The Story of Minglan is lovely. It takes a while to get into, but it's very much about manners and women. With some white=knuckled action sequences, and some exhilarating ones.

There are a lot of truly gorgeous palace/harem stories, though I don't watch many of those, especially when they end tragically. But they are easy to find. And really, really gorgeous.

[white_hart]

Thanks! I think legionseagle was recommending that one, too.

[shewhostaples]

TV wise, I'm mostly watching sport. Cycling season has just started - today was Strade Bianche, around Siena, so there was a lot of gorgeous Tuscan scenery.

Everything else I'm into at the moment misses the 'cosy' mark by some distance!

[perennialanna]

I introduced N to live test match coverage this morning. True to my childhood experiences, we switched on just in time to see India take a wicket.

He liked the story about The Time Grandad Went To The Cricket Match (when he was meant to be at school). The grandad in question appeared in a crowd shot. Unfortunately, back at home his mother was watching it on television...

[callmemadam]

I was so looking forward to the third series of the German Cold War series Deutschland 83/86 and now at last 89. It didn't disappoint. It's on More 4.
I find I like landscape/countryside programmes at the moment. I enjoyed Darcey Bussell's tour of the Scottish Isles, just for the scenery.

[white_hart]

I somehow missed out on that when the first couple of series were shown, but it does seem to be on All 4 so maybe I should give it a try...

[nineveh_uk]

It's well worth it. I don't think 86 is as good as 83, bit but am looking forward to 89.

Monty Don's Around the World in 80 Gardens is useful for when you just want one episode of something peaceful but interesting.

[serriadh]

I’ve been (re)watching Borgen on Netflix. The actual storylines aren’t hard to untangle or follow and it’s fairly undemanding (I’m watching it in original Danish with subtitles but Netflix lets you choose dubbed into English if subtitles are too much to deal with for relaxing tv).

[white_hart]

I never watched Borgen, and The Untamed proved that I can knit simple things while watching subtitled TV, so I might have to give it a try.

[joyeuce]

I've been watching lots of Death in Paradise as my comfort viewing. Also many, many documentaries about Cornwall.

[white_hart]

There's definitely something to be said for watching something set somewhere sunny!

[antisoppist]

I've been watching Sandi Toksvig take people to stay in very posh holiday houses and The Great. And Pottery Throwdown. And a new series of Taskmaster starts this week.

[white_hart]

I remember now that I meant to check out The Great, but it turns out that the first four episodes have already disappeared from All 4 :-(

[girlyswot]

Pottery Throwdown and also Landscape Artist of the Year which has been particularly exciting this year because a friend of my mum's made it through to the final.