What are we watching these days?

[LennG]

 I haven't really watched anything special in the past couple of months. I was away for one month and with the new grandson and traveling back and forth to Penn, I haven't gotten time to really sit down and watch. I do still watch many movies on TCM, nothing spectacular but give me a good Film Noir with anyone I really know, and I enjoy it.

I did finish a series on Paramount the other day, Joe Pickett (season 1). I have been trying to watch this for a while, started, stopped, started stopped, and now, finally finished. I did enjoy most of it. The first few episodes dragged a bit but the final 3 were really good, so I would rate the series a watch. There is a season 2, and I will get to it after I try and watch some things that have been put off for a while.

Since it is THAT time of the year, we do have to watch our regular holiday movies, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Story. It is our Jewish tradition.       
Just weatched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation so I can cross that one off the list. 

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I haven't really watched anything special in the past couple of months. I was away for one month and with the new grandson and traveling back and forth to Penn, I haven't gotten time to really sit down and watch. I do still watch many movies on TCM, nothing spectacular but give me a good Film Noir with anyone I really know, and I enjoy it.

I did finish a series on Paramount the other day, Joe Pickett (season 1). I have been trying to watch this for a while, started, stopped, started stopped, and now, finally finished. I did enjoy most of it. The first few episodes dragged a bit but the final 3 were really good, so I would rate the series a watch. There is a season 2, and I will get to it after I try and watch some things that have been put off for a while.

Since it is THAT time of the year, we do have to watch our regular holiday movies, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Story. It is our Jewish tradition.       
Just weatched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation so I can cross that one off the list. 

Congratulations on the new grandson. Grandchildren are the greatest of blessings IMO. Your "Jewish traditions" sound just like my sister's, who has lived in Israel for more than 25 years and is converted Jewish; however, that tradition is nothing like her neighbors and friends, LOL. Getting through Christmas in Israel was the hardest thing for her to adjust to. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, etc., look like any other ordinary day on Christmas...nary a colored light bulb or Christmas tree in sight...just busy traffic going about daily business. You have to go to the Israeli city of Nazareth to bask in Christmas decorations and music. Nazareth is more decorated for Christmas than most cities in the U.S. Go figure...an Israeli city, run entirely by Arabs and Muslims, blast Christmas music in the streets and dress up the city like Clark Griswald dresses his house...except the lights work from the start...LOL

Nazareth at Christmastime:





Just a heads up, Reacher 2 is back on Friday...I think 

[LennG]

 I know we have many fans of Yellowstone here. Those of us are waiting impatiently for the second half of season 5 to get here,as that will be the last of the new episodes. We were originally led to believe it was supposed to drop this month but alas, it isn't to be. In fact, we have to wait till Nov 2024 to see how this great show wraps up.

When Does Yellowstone Return With New Episodes?
Next year. Last month, Paramount Network announced that Yellowstone will return for the second half of Season 5 in November 2024. The network also revealed that two new Yellowstone spinoffs — 1944 and 2024 — are forthcoming.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I know we have many fans of Yellowstone here. Those of us are waiting impatiently for the second half of season 5 to get here,as that will be the last of the new episodes. We were originally led to believe it was supposed to drop this month but alas, it isn't to be. In fact, we have to wait till Nov 2024 to see how this great show wraps up.

I haven't started the last season because I don't know when they'll release the rest of it and, like Fargo, I want the whole season to be streamed because I hate to be left hanging. I'm more interested in the 2nd season of "Tulsa King", and "1923". Meanwhile, I've been skipping all over the place watching "Lawman, Bass Reeves", the new "Frazier" show (on Paramount), "Monarch, Legacy of Monsters" (Apple TV+, but like Fargo, only the first several episodes have dropped, so hanging again), "Young Sheldon" (that I had never watched before), and catching up with movies that are leaving at the end of the month...none worth suggesting though 

[Sem]

I've been on a British series on Netflix kick lately. I finished watching "Bodies" a crime/Sci-Fi show, a few weeks ago, then went on to "The Stranger," a mystery/drama show, and I've now started watching "Stay Close," another mystery/thriller. Each of the three series are only 8 episodes and have been good but not great.

[DaveBrown74]

I've been on a British series on Netflix kick lately. I finished watching "Bodies" a crime/Sci-Fi show, a few weeks ago, then went on to "The Stranger," a mystery/drama show, and I've now started watching "Stay Close," another mystery/thriller. Each of the three series are only 8 episodes and have been good but not great.

Good stuff. The Brits do a great job with crime drama series and thriller series. Some really excellent stuff.

The Fall, Broad Church, Luther, and Happy Valley are just a few examples. There are many other good ones too.

[Sem]

Good stuff. The Brits do a great job with crime drama series and thriller series. Some really excellent stuff.

The Fall, Broad Church, Luther, and Happy Valley are just a few examples. There are many other good ones too.

The four you mentioned were really great shows. I'm sure I mentioned all of them earlier in this thread and each are highly recommended for anyone here who hasn't yet seen them. Luther put Idris Elba on the map for me as I'd never heard of him prior to watching that series.

[Bill Brown]

Reacher season 2 drops 3 episodes tomorrow. The question is do I watch it immediately or wait for the entire season to drop and them binge it.

This is one of my favorite Reacher stories. Hope it stays true to the book.

Bill

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Reacher season 2 drops 3 episodes tomorrow. The question is do I watch it immediately or wait for the entire season to drop and them binge it.

This is one of my favorite Reacher stories. Hope it stays true to the book.

Bill

Ahhh...someone who has actually read his books. I've read all his books except for the last few which are being written by his much younger brother Andrew Grant (Lee's real name is James Grant). Lee (James) is no longer writing the Reacher books, even though his name is on the cover page like neon lights. I've read one of the books written by his brother, "No Plan B" and I have "The Sentinel" in queue as I'm finishing up Baldacci's "6:20 Man", before getting to it

Just curious if you've read any of the latest books written by his brother and if you can see any big difference in writing style. I can hardly tell the difference, and I wonder how much coaching Andrew is getting from his big brother...I imagine quite a bit. Andrew is a prolific writer in his own and has produced numerous thrillers under his real name, Andrew Grant. Having always wanted to be a writer, I like to analyze writing styles. It's interesting to me that the Reacher books are written both ways (1st person and 3rd person), about half each and sorta like every-other-one. From a writer's standpoint, it would seem to me to be easier to write in the 3rd person, but that's just my personal take

I've also read most of the books by Lincoln Child (no relation to Lee)...mostly those that were written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child in the "Aloysius Pendergast series", but also Lincoln's separate works like the, "Gideon Crew series". Preston hooked my on "Tyrannosaur Canyon" as I have a childlike fascination with dinosaurs. Unlike "Jurassic Park", the story is about sinister archeologists and other criminals in scrambling over T-Rex bones rather than real live dinosaurs

Anyway, I agree with you that the series on TV does an excellent job of sticking to the script and developing realistic characters in line with the books. My favorite story, however, was his 15th book written in 2010, "Worth Dying For". I doubt they'd turn that into a television show based on its contents that take on the issue of the sexual abuse of young girls, murder, and a religious cult in a small town in a rural Nebraskan corn field

I am hooked on David Baldacci's writings and also Michael Connelly (in particular, the "Lincoln Lawyer Series" and his Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch series, but I digress 

[Jclayton92]

Ahhh...someone who has actually read his books. I've read all his books except for the last few which are being written by his much younger brother Andrew Grant (Lee's real name is James Grant). Lee (James) is no longer writing the Reacher books, even though his name is on the cover page like neon lights. I've read one of the books written by his brother, "No Plan B" and I have "The Sentinel" in queue as I'm finishing up Baldacci's "6:20 Man", before getting to it

Just curious if you've read any of the latest books written by his brother and if you can see any big difference in writing style. I can hardly tell the difference, and I wonder how much coaching Andrew is getting from his big brother...I imagine quite a bit. Andrew is a prolific writer in his own and has produced numerous thrillers under his real name, Andrew Grant. Having always wanted to be a writer, I like to analyze writing styles. It's interesting to me that the Reacher books are written both ways (1st person and 3rd person), about half each and sorta like every-other-one. From a writer's standpoint, it would seem to me to be easier to write in the 3rd person, but that's just my personal take

I've also read most of the books by Lincoln Child (no relation to Lee)...mostly those that were written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child in the "Aloysius Pendergast series", but also Lincoln's separate works like the, "Gideon Crew series". Preston hooked my on "Tyrannosaur Canyon" as I have a childlike fascination with dinosaurs. Unlike "Jurassic Park", the story is about sinister archeologists and other criminals in scrambling over T-Rex bones rather than real live dinosaurs

Anyway, I agree with you that the series on TV does an excellent job of sticking to the script and developing realistic characters in line with the books. My favorite story, however, was his 15th book written in 2010, "Worth Dying For". I doubt they'd turn that into a television show based on its contents that take on the issue of the sexual abuse of young girls, murder, and a religious cult in a small town in a rural Nebraskan corn field

I am hooked on David Baldacci's writings and also Michael Connelly (in particular, the "Lincoln Lawyer Series" and his Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch series, but I digress 

If you like the Reacher and Lincoln Lawyer books here are a few for you.

Brad Melzters Culper Ring trilogy

Jack Carrs James Reece books (they made the terminal list show off his 1st book)

Mark Greaneys Gray Man series (they made a horrible movie based on this book)

Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series (They made a really good movie out of his 1st book American Assassin)

[Jolly Blue Giant]

If you like the Reacher and Lincoln Lawyer books here are a few for you.

Brad Melzters Culper Ring trilogy

Jack Carrs James Reece books (they made the terminal list show off his 1st book)

Mark Greaneys Gray Man series (they made a horrible movie based on this book)

Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series (They made a really good movie out of his 1st book American Assassin)

I've read Meltzer and Flynn was my favorite author before he passed on far before his time. Few people know that Flynn was so accurate about some of the things the FBI does, that his books had to be pre-approved by the FBI before they were released. Also, the television show "24" with Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) was not only based on Flynn's Mitch Rapp character, but Flynn was also invited along with the casting crew during during some of the shows in an advisory position

He had a BA in economics and was in the U.S. Marine Corps working to become an aviator before he was medically disqualified from the Marine Aviation Program. He then went to work at Kraft foods, but didn't like it. He suffered from Dyslexia so he took to reading (mostly Tom Clancy) and writing to overcome his disability. Then he went to work as a bartender and started writing to see if he could actually get published. He did, and rose to the top of the charts almost immediately. At the height of his career, he developed cancer and died at 47 years of age. We lost a giant in the field of incredible writing concerning espionage and the development of the character, Mitch Rapp. Unlike the production of the series "Reacher" that stays true to the character and the story, the "American Assassin" movie strayed from from Flynn's character and story line with the character portraying Rapp. Of couse, so did the movies called "Reacher" where they used Tom Cruise. Maybe movies are more about drawing an audience than following the original author's intent. When it turns to series, they seem to get it right...and I like to think that the Jack Bauer character was a much better actor to portray Rapp than those in the movies

Vince Flynn was a master writer...may he R.I.P. 

[LennG]

Wait for them all to drop and then enjoy it while it lasts.

[Jclayton92]

I've read Meltzer and Flynn was my favorite author before he passed on far before his time. Few people know that Flynn was so accurate about some of the things the FBI does, that his books had to be pre-approved by the FBI before they were released. Also, the television show "24" with Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) was not only based on Flynn's Mitch Rapp character, but Flynn was also invited along with the casting crew during during some of the shows in an advisory position

He had a BA in economics and was in the U.S. Marine Corps working to become an aviator before he was medically disqualified from the Marine Aviation Program. He then went to work at Kraft foods, but didn't like it. He suffered from Dyslexia so he took to reading (mostly Tom Clancy) and writing to overcome his disability. Then he went to work as a bartender and started writing to see if he could actually get published. He did, and rose to the top of the charts almost immediately. At the height of his career, he developed cancer and died at 47 years of age. We lost a giant in the field of incredible writing concerning espionage and the development of the character, Mitch Rapp. Unlike the production of the series "Reacher" that stays true to the character and the story, the "American Assassin" movie strayed from from Flynn's character and story line with the character portraying Rapp. Of couse, so did the movies called "Reacher" where they used Tom Cruise. Maybe movies are more about drawing an audience than following the original author's intent. When it turns to series, they seem to get it right...and I like to think that the Jack Bauer character was a much better actor to portray Rapp than those in the movies

Vince Flynn was a master writer...may he R.I.P. 

I really enjoy his works, imo he was really the first to incorporate the middle east as the "big bad" as opposed to just saying Russia all the time.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I really enjoy his works, imo he was really the first to incorporate the middle east as the "big bad" as opposed to just saying Russia all the time.

Have you read Kyle Mills after taking over the Mitch Rapp series? He wrote the last 9 books over the 10 year period since Flynn died. I read the first couple of his books, but it lacked something. Flynn was a master at painting characters and bringing them to life...especially Hurley. Mills doesn't seem to do the same. After the death of Stan, the series kind of petered out anyway IMO. And with Flynn's death, it seemed wrong somehow  Apparently, now Don Bentley is taking over the Rapp series. Bentley worked closely with Tom Clancy for years, and "some people" think this will work

IMO, the series suffered after Stan Hurley was killed off. Loved the Hurley character. Michael Keaton did a fairly good job being Hurley in "American Assassin", but I was put off right from the start of the movie as they showed his girlfriend as being killed on a beach by a terrorist attack right off the bat...so far off the script. The real story in the book was Mitch was a lacrosse player for Syracuse University. The love of his life was studying abroad and was aboard the plane Pan Am 103 that was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland by a terrorist which killed her along with 34 other SU students (which is an actual historical event, as I'm sure you are aware). So the movie started off on the wrong footing. I also didn't care for the character they put together to represent Mitch 

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Wait for them all to drop and then enjoy it while it lasts.

That's what I'm doing with "Fargo". I couldn't hold off on "Reacher" though and delved into the first two episodes. There's only three episodes dropped, and a new one every Thursday, I think. Hard to hold off on something I've been waiting months to see 

On a side note, I finally started watching "Young Sheldon" and I am getting a real kick out of it. Pretty much anything produced by Chuck Lorre are great comedies ("Two and a Half Men", "Big Bang Theory", "Mike and Molly", etc) and "Young Sheldon" is no exception. He has a great comedic mind. Light and fun to watch

I am going to try to watch "Christmas Vacation" for the first time since my father passed a couple years ago. It was an annual tradition for the two of us to watch the movie. Watching my father laugh so hard his stomach jiggled and near tears, made the movie extra special to me

Keeping up with "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" on Apple+ and I find it very good. Keeping up with "Lawman Bass Reeves" on Paramount+...another Taylor Sheridan series. Kind of dark and not as exciting as his other works ("Tulsa King", "1883","1923", and "Yellowstone"), but good. Can't wait for the second season of "Tulsa King" and "1923"

Tom Cruise has been fairly silent lately. I've read that he's in the process of making five movies (a workaholic). The most interesting one is pushed back until 2026, which is a bummer. He's working with Elon Musk and his upcoming movie, "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning" in which he will go into outer space to the Space Station and "will be the first civilian to space walk"...should be interesting. The man has no fear, as evidenced by the many stunts he does himself...the craziest (IMO) was hanging onto the outside of a jet as it took off. Not many actors would try such a thing...hell, not even many stuntmen would sign up for that, LOL. I suspect that when he dies someday, it will probably be while doing a stunt 

Love him or hate him, you have to admit he's got steel balls