I am Ashley Elsdon

someone who's doing some things

Category: TV

I watch TV. That’s what this category is all about. Although I don’t watch a huge amount I do watch some, and, occasionally I mention it here.

Stargate SG-1

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I have watched every episode of Stargate SG-1. If that is of no interest to you then you probably want to stop reading now and do something else. If I still have your attention, feel free to read on.

I’m now watching them all again, and I’m about halfway through. This time around, one thing I’m noticing is just how good the writers are in picking up stories and themes in the series and continuing them. Unlike many similar series they didn’t just take the approach of having lots of individual stories with occasional two or three part stories.

Even when the issues they tackle are fairly obviously related to modern day goings on the stories don’t feel like they’re preaching. Not something I can say for other productions.

Watching Stargate again makes me realise how much I enjoy well written science fiction with longevity.

Andor

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It has taken me a while to collect my thoughts on this show. I am sure that a great deal will be written about this series all over the internet. Even so, I will add a few thoughts for anyone who is interested.

My personal view is that Andor is probably the best thing to happen to Star Wars since Rogue One. As a series it was incredible. It was pure drama with incredible performances all round. The world building was amazing and it took its time to tell the story, something that so many stories forget to do.

The recent Star Wars stories have been great, a lot of fun. Mandalorian was brilliant and I really enjoyed Boba Fett, although I know other people who were less than impressed. But Andor was on another level entirely. It was like a spy thriller than happened to be set in space, happened to be part of the Star Wars story. It was completely brilliant.

The Star Wars Timeline

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Some time ago I decided that I would try to watch the entire Star Wars Timeline. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do and Disney+ makes it nice and easy to do. The start was nice and easy, then I got into ‘The Clone Wars’, the animated series, which I wasn’t really looking forward to, especially as there are seven seasons of it. However, it really picked up in season three onwards, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it.

I am now in the first season of ‘The Bad Batch’, and season two will become available before I’ve finished that. It is going to take a while to get through. I may get it finished next year. If I find any surprises, or at least surprises for me anyway, I expect I will write something about it.

Willow

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I was really looking forward to this. The original film was so much fun, and stands up even now. So the thought of a series around the story was fantastic. Having watched the first episode I can safely say I am truly disappointed. It feels like it wants to be a teen comedy, which is about as far away from the original as it could be.

After starting to write this I watched the second episode, which was a little better, but not much. I will probably stay with it though, just in case it gets better, but I have very little hope that it will.

What a shame.

She-Hulk

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I was quite interested when this Marvel show got announced. It was certainly a bit different from other Marvel shows so I thought I’d watch it. How disappointed I was. I persevered with the show all of the way through to the end, but overall found it confused, aimless and badly thought through.

It was such a shame, such a wasted opportunity. Such a good character, so poorly executed and thought through. I have to say that I would be disappointed if Marvel made a second season and I’m not sure I could stomach watching it either.

See, season 3

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I have watched all three season of See on Apple TV+. In fact it was one of the things that attracted me to their streaming platform in the first place. Overall, I have to say that for me, the first season was by far the strongest of the three. Not that I am giving away any spoilers at all. However, I will say that the ending was quite satisfying. Of course, you should see it for yourself and make up your own mind, but for me I’m glad to have seen it. It was good if not ground breaking.

I am glad that See was limited to three seasons and not one of those series that rambles on and just fades out badly and gets cancelled. Keeping the story to play out over three seasons worked, although I think it could probably have been done in two. Nevertheless, I think I enjoyed it.

I liked Mr Corman

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I have to admit that I only watched this because I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and I thought that the premise was quite interesting. I finished it just the other day and overall I really liked it. I thought it touched on a lot of issues that people have faced over the last couple of years.

I also really liked watching him make music with a range of different devices, some of which I’ve used and owned in the past.

It was a shame that it was cancelled. I think that a second season of it would have been interesting. I know I would have watched it.

See (AppleTV+)

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This was one of the reasons I decided to get Apple TV+. The concept intrigued me and it looked like someone had spent money on making it. I have to say that the first season wasn’t bad. Not amazing, but certainly not bad, and some of the fight sequences were really amazing. The story was fairly predictable, although that isn’t a bad thing really. There were one or two twists in the season that I didn’t see coming and that’s always nice.

As I understand it there is another season coming, but, like so many productions right now, it will be delayed. I can wait. I’m in now hurry right now. In fact I’ve put my subscription on hold until this, and some other shows come back for another season.

His Dark Materials (BBC)

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I was aware of this story and the books, but had never really thought about reading them. So when the BBC announced their new series I decided to give it a go. I have to admit that I had low expectations as they’d not exactly done a great job with War of the Worlds.

But, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. It was actually very good indeed. I watched all of the episodes, and, whilst I can’t say it was a story that I found totally gripping or interesting, it was actually good.

I think they’re making more of this too. I would definitely watch more if they do. If nothing else I expect it’ll be diverting.

The other thing it’s made me do is to get the first of the audio books. I haven’t started listening to it as yet, but I’ll get to it eventually.

The First Doctor

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When Netflix had all the Doctor Who episodes, and, for the avoidance of doubt, that means from William Hartnell onwards. I started to watch these from episode 1. Then, with very little warning Netflix removed the lot. I was left fairly annoyed.

Since then I’ve occasionally wondered about watching the whole lot, but I’ve never got around to it. Now I seem to have a little more time on my hands I thought I’d sign up for a 30 day trial subscription of BritBox, which has the whole of Doctor Who.

Now I’m watching season 1 of the first doctor. It’s interesting to see it. Where it all started as it were. I have to say that I’m enjoying it, although it is very slow by today’s standards. My plan is to watch all of the Hartnell and Troughton episodes if at all possible.