Summer & Autumn Events in Birmingham / 2016 Look Back

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to the geeky Bremute podcast. Joining me today, Ms. Keith Winfield. [00:00:04] Speaker B: Hello. [00:00:04] Speaker A: Ms. Lee Price. [00:00:05] Speaker C: Hello. [00:00:06] Speaker A: And Mr. Sam Edwards. [00:00:07] Speaker B: Hello. [00:00:08] Speaker A: How are we all? [00:00:10] Speaker B: Not bad, thank you. How are you? [00:00:12] Speaker C: Warm. [00:00:14] Speaker B: Yes. [00:00:14] Speaker D: I was going to swear at this point about the weather we're having, but I won't. [00:00:19] Speaker A: It has been on the toasty side here at the UK the last few weeks, so if you're not aware, we're in our third heat wave of the year and it's only the start of July. [00:00:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:00:27] Speaker A: So, yeah, if you don't have aircon, it's a fun time to be in the uk. We always get this every time where all the, like, different nations go, oh, 30 degrees. Is it hot? No. 30 degrees in the UK is hot. [00:00:41] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:00:43] Speaker C: And a humidifier with ice in it. Yeah. That's how I'm surviving. [00:00:47] Speaker A: The humidity is what's actually the worst thing over here. Because you don't get. [00:00:51] Speaker C: That's why I only put that on for like an hour. [00:00:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:00:54] Speaker C: So that it just has the cool air and then that's it. Yeah. [00:00:57] Speaker A: Because we get dry hot. Well, we don't get dry hot, we get wet hot over here. Further than that. [00:01:02] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:01:02] Speaker A: Technology has been frustrating. [00:01:05] Speaker D: That sounds just, just like I feel on the bus. Wet hot. [00:01:09] Speaker B: That's. That's good. [00:01:10] Speaker D: Which should be illegal in this country. Not to be talking about buses again, as regular viewers will know, but we all need to complain about the fact that the. It's been cooler outside than it has been on buses. [00:01:23] Speaker A: Yeah. The trains were been reasonably aircon on the Cross City line because I actually spent some money on them. [00:01:29] Speaker D: Coventry buses have aircon, so well done. [00:01:31] Speaker A: Coventry buses, Black country buses have airon on them as well. [00:01:34] Speaker D: Not the ones that I get, just [00:01:37] Speaker A: anything in Birmingham instantly though I, I [00:01:39] Speaker D: still get a bus that's. That's powered by coal and so that's, that's how hot that one gets. [00:01:44] Speaker A: Do you all have to take a turn stoking them? [00:01:46] Speaker D: We have to. [00:01:46] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:01:47] Speaker D: You have to wear a flat cap and pretend to be peaky. Peaky Brian, this. [00:01:50] Speaker A: Yeah, that's where the inspiration come from. [00:01:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:01:53] Speaker A: Anyway, [00:01:56] Speaker D: swiftly on we'll be looking back [00:01:58] Speaker A: to 2016 as some of the TV shows that were airing at that time. We were looking at some of the summer slash autumn events coming up in Birmingham and we'll be looking at some of the 2016 comic books in our 2016 run back theory and of course our regular one geek thing. But we shall be back shortly, [00:02:22] Speaker D: Sam. [00:02:50] Speaker A: So as part of our 2016 series. Looking back to when we started this show a decade ago, what was on air at the time and what we really liked. Yes, it has been a decade. We thought we'd pick out three TV shows to talk about, think about their cultural impact, how they've lasted, etc and if they were pretty good or not. So the first TV show I picked is Kim's Convenience. So if you're not aware of this, it's Canadian television sitcom that aired on cbc, see in the US and think it was on sky over here or. [00:03:21] Speaker D: I think I watched it. I watched it on Netflix. [00:03:23] Speaker A: Netflix. Yeah, maybe Netflix. It was definitely on the streaming service. Wasn't on a terrestrial service, but yeah. So it's a Korean Canadian family called the Kims, who were in a convenience store in Moss park, got Paul, his son Hyung Lee playing Appa, Jean Yoon playing Uma. And it's mainly about the daughter Janet and her relationship and played by Andrea Bang and their Estrang Jung played by Simu Liu, who you might know as Shang Chi nowadays. But yeah, so all set around that set around where Jung was working at a car horror place. And the main scene being that. And it was based on a stage play written by Inis Choi, who was the main director. She wrote that back in 2011 and it was adapted into a TV series. But it's kind of one of those weird shows, probably this and fresh off the boat at the time, the only kind of really different Asian American or Asian Canadian TV series that were on here. It's one of mine of his favorite TV shows. One thing that we loved watching. Tried to get to his stage play as well. But yeah, it's really, really worth your time if you've not watched it. Anybody else watched it? [00:04:34] Speaker B: I have not. I've heard it's good, but I've never seen it. [00:04:38] Speaker D: It's brilliant. [00:04:39] Speaker A: It is. [00:04:39] Speaker D: It is brilliant. It's really funny. Ye, really cute and lovely. And Paul is a massive geek as well. [00:04:46] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:46] Speaker D: Because he has his own YouTube channel and he's now an X Wing pilot in Star Wars. I think he's been in Mandalorian and Ahsoka at some point. [00:04:54] Speaker A: Mandalorian. Yeah, Mandalorian, Ahsoka. And he's been in the new Mandalorian Robo movie as well. [00:04:59] Speaker D: So he's a huge geek. He does a lot of. [00:05:01] Speaker A: Yeah, I think 501st now as well. [00:05:04] Speaker B: Yeah. And. [00:05:06] Speaker D: But it's. It's a really sweet show. [00:05:08] Speaker A: Yes. [00:05:08] Speaker D: You know, it's a cultural clash kind of thing, but it's much Better than that. [00:05:14] Speaker A: So the opening season is Andrea Bang going to college, basically finishes, finishes school. American school would be a college over here in the UK and going to university or college, as Americans call it. It's her doing a photography course. And it's that thing of still working in the shop, help your parents out and having this danger brother in Simi Liu Jung character. And it's like we see here all of his carpenter co workers, etc, his best friend Kim Chi. And then yeah, it's a really kind of sweet, no pressure kind of show. Just a really good setting. I think there's a really good guest list of guest characters that come around as well. But yeah, I mean, don't think we've seen something similar since. Unfortunately, no. I know there was a spin off called Strays where they took Andrew Fun's character and the manager played by Nicole Power, and spun that off to another series that's done reasonably well. But I think this was kind of a rather big hit for CBC back at the time. Was it worldwide acclaim on Netflix. Really, really worth checking out if you're not seeing it. I think it's four or five seasons. [00:06:20] Speaker D: It's five seasons. So yeah, they're quite short, which is unfortunate, really. They're kind of. It's not 26 episodes or whatever. It was like you used to get syndicated tv. But yeah, it's definitely well worth a watch. Really funny, heartfelt. Anybody that's got a family will get it. Yeah. Regardless of cultural background. I mean, obviously there's a lot of Korean culture in there as well. [00:06:42] Speaker A: Yeah, you get that bit of culture class, especially the second generation. It's like your parents maybe go for a better life, etc. Those kind of things. So definitely worth a watch. [00:06:50] Speaker D: Great show. [00:06:51] Speaker B: Yep. [00:06:51] Speaker A: Moving on to our next show. Reason I picked this one is exactly in the center at the moment in a different guys as part of the same franchise. But it's Ash versus Evil Dead. So the comedy horror series developed for Stars TV by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi and Tom Spiziali, sequel to the original Eva trilogy directly in the same timeline and with Bruce Campbell replacing his role as Ash Williams with Ray Santiago, Daniel d' Lorenzo and Lucy Lawless. So I think Keith could probably talk about this one for three hours. [00:07:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:23] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:07:23] Speaker D: It's better than any film since the original trilogy, in my opinion. [00:07:28] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:07:29] Speaker D: Each their own. It's just magnificent. It's got one of the best pieces of casting in history where they cast Lee Majors as Ash's father. Spoilers if you haven't seen it by now, but still. [00:07:42] Speaker A: Million Dollar Book. [00:07:43] Speaker D: Yeah, but it's just the best bit of casting and they. They riff off each other perfectly. The only downside to the series is it promises us a fantastic fourth season. And then it got canceled and I really, really. I'd rather have that than I would Evil Dead Boy or Evil Dead Rise or an Evil Dead Raph or an Evil Dead Ghost of the. Well, that's Seaside or whatever. Next. [00:08:08] Speaker A: Talk about it, because Evil Dead Ash versus Evil Dead kind of plays slightly more to the comedy side of Evil Dead French, where you still got quite a lot of horror in there. Yeah, but it plays more to that comedy side a little bit from the second one. [00:08:20] Speaker D: I mean, I went to see Evil Dead, the original Evil Dead, when it came out, underage at the cinema. Terrified me beyond all belief. There was like, for months afterwards, I couldn't go upstairs without the lights on because I was like, absolutely, like, traumatized myself. And then the second one came and kind of redid the first film, but with it leaning more and so into the comedy side of things. And then army of Darkness or Medieval Dead, Should It Uncord. Really, really did a great job of that. [00:08:49] Speaker A: But that was the thing going. Bruce Campbell, such a great slapstick actor. It's you definitely teaching. [00:08:54] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:08:55] Speaker A: And he was. Yeah. So brilliant with that. And Sam Raimi knew how to get the best before. [00:08:59] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:59] Speaker D: And it was just such a good story as well. It could do the comedy, but it also brought the gore. I mean, there was lots of blood in this show. And Lucy Lawless as well was phenomenal in it. And most people would remember her from seeing a warrior princess. [00:09:14] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:09:14] Speaker A: It's current. It's quite interesting to see that comparison to something like Evil Dead Burn, which has come out because I know Sam Raimi picks the directors to do the. The films in the Evil Dead franchise is still heavily involved, but not from a directing point of view. But, yeah, it seems to have really swerved into the kind of pure horror side of it. [00:09:32] Speaker B: I did see Evil Dead Burn last night. There is. I wouldn't say it's comedy necessarily, but it's definitely. It has a sense of humor to it. It's not just pure gore. There is quite a lot of gore and a couple of particularly unpleasant bits, [00:09:50] Speaker C: which is interesting because the trailers that I've seen do not give that impression at all. I think, like, the one trailer is always just like someone crawling through a room while like a million other people have been killed at the same time. [00:10:01] Speaker B: That was a great Trailer. [00:10:04] Speaker C: I did not think it was a great trailer. I don't know what this movie is and I'm not interested the modern films. [00:10:11] Speaker D: The problem you've got is we all root for Ash because we just see this dumb lunk of a guy and we just think, how are you going to get out of this? And the thing that he loses a hand and then he replaces it with the change door, he's got the boob stick in the wrist. So there's things. Things in it that we can kind of like get behind in that kind of slightly silly. Yeah, like, this is a ridiculous situation. It's the unreality of it means we can get behind somebody like Ash's character. Whereas in the modern films, there's never really been a character that I think I'm rooting for you. It's like if you all die, it's kind of pretty much your own fault, really, and that there's nobody there that you kind of go feel. And I think that's because Bruce Campbell as a. As an actor. [00:10:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:10:56] Speaker D: Just clicked with audiences. There was something about him we all kind of fell in love with, really. [00:11:00] Speaker A: He has fantastic charisma. He really does have fantastic charisma. But I mean, even the premise of the show itself, I think I really like the fact that they didn't, like, make him some superhero or anything like that. He's just working as a stock boy. [00:11:13] Speaker D: Well, you just wanted to, like, just disappear, didn't he? So I do not want to have anything to do with Deadites anymore. [00:11:18] Speaker A: Yes. Until he gets caught back up in it again. But, yeah, I mean, it's fantastic. Supporting cast as well. I mean, Samara Weaving in season one. There's a guy, Ray Santiago, as you always talked about when we talked about the show previously, I think when we talked to Ferry when he was originally on air. Really good actor and should have done more with the series. Yeah. And then Lucy Lawless, everybody probably knows as Xena Wario Princess still. Or she was in Rome as well. And I think she was in Battlestar Galactica. [00:11:47] Speaker C: I know her for all the trolling she does against Kevin Sorbo on Twitter. Yes, I'm rightfully so. [00:11:55] Speaker D: But it is. It is the most pure kind of sequel to the original trilogy. If that's where. If you were a fan of the original trilogy, then this is a series not to be missed. If you've not seen it already, I [00:12:06] Speaker A: would say if you're a fan of the newer Evil Dead, go back and watch the original trilogy and then maybe jump into the series as well to kind of get that his. The old Necronomicon history. [00:12:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:20] Speaker A: Right. Our final series, which I'm hoping everybody should have watched because there should be no excuse for my watch on this show, which is the Good Place Place. So Michael Sher probably. Well, most known for the Office US version a bit of Brooklyn Nine Nine. But yes. Comedy series premiered September 19, 2020, 2016, then concluded in 2020 and actually concluded properly with a proper ending to a series, which is one of a rare treat nowadays. [00:12:49] Speaker B: One of the best endings to any series ever, I think. [00:12:51] Speaker A: Yes. So Eleanor Shellstrop, played by Christian Bale, dies in the first episode and then is transported to the Good Place, which is the perfect heaven of the series Utopia. Designed by a character called Michael. He was played by Ted Dunson. A really strong supporting cast with manager Sinto, who's been in. Well, I suppose the acolyte was his last thing. And he was probably one of the better things about the Echoloid. Jamila Jamil, Jackson Harper as well. And Darcy Carden as Janet, who's an artificial AI who helps Ted dance and run this kind of thing. [00:13:26] Speaker B: But yeah. [00:13:27] Speaker A: So spoilers. If you haven't seen the Good Place, you've had plenty of time, man. [00:13:33] Speaker D: It's gonna upset a lot of people [00:13:35] Speaker B: if they haven't seen it. [00:13:36] Speaker A: The first season ends with this isn't the Good Place, this is the Bad Place. And it's basically hell of annoyance and tiny little things and interruptions and her insecurity. [00:13:50] Speaker B: She feels that she shouldn't be in Good Place. Yes. And it. It's making her uncomfortable. Is. Is her kind of torture. [00:13:58] Speaker C: Yes. [00:13:59] Speaker A: But yeah, basically. And it's that whole thing then of it runs off a Thor series about being in the Good Place, the Bad Place and the afterlife and what makes a person a person. And can you grow and can you develop and can you get past that? And it's kind of. [00:14:13] Speaker B: It. [00:14:14] Speaker A: It's. As you said, it's got one of the most beautiful endings of any TV series. And I think the way they finish it is pretty much perfection. Yeah. And if you have heard the phrase Jeremy, bear me this is where it comes from [00:14:30] Speaker B: worth mentioning. Jason Manzoukas is in it as well. Oh yeah. Great. Great character. [00:14:35] Speaker A: I always like Jason Manzoukis is like. He's like spice. He's like seasoning to add to a TV show. You don't want him to lead a TV show, but he wants it sprinkling in liberally and he elevates the TV Show. He did exactly the same on Brooklyn Nine Nine, when he plays Rosa's boyf. [00:14:52] Speaker B: Yeah. It's one of those shows where just all the characters, even if they're sort of introduced as a bit of an antagonist, you just can't help but like all of them. Yeah. [00:15:02] Speaker D: All lovely people. [00:15:04] Speaker B: Ted Danson is brilliant in it as well. [00:15:07] Speaker A: Perfect. Yeah. [00:15:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:15:10] Speaker A: Is probably my standout act from that one, because he's basically there to play an idiot for the entire time who's ended up in this place completely by accident, but develops. So which over the series that you. You really love him by the end of it. [00:15:22] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. One of the best shows, I think, of the last decade. [00:15:29] Speaker A: Yes. [00:15:31] Speaker D: Have you watched it? [00:15:31] Speaker C: Leave. [00:15:32] Speaker B: No. [00:15:34] Speaker D: Watch. [00:15:35] Speaker C: I don't watch tv. That's the thing. I've said this many, many times. [00:15:38] Speaker D: It's just a video game when you're talking. What I liked about this show, though, was that it. It had a. It had a. A very deep. Yes. Philosophical message behind it. Because a lot of the conversations was that nobody had actually been to the Good Place for like, hundreds of thousands of years. Because, yeah, in a way, whatever it did, even though you think you're doing good things, there was something that would be bad and that would be like, you know, in. In doing something that would have an implication on somebody else that you sort of would be a bad thing. And I kind of thought that whole idea of, like, you, no matter how much you try, you can't be that good. [00:16:20] Speaker A: Well, it's. It's starting off from that. There's two philosophical ways about it. You can either start off as a hundred and be a perfectly good building being, and everything you do negatively takes your score down, which is the whole premise of it. We start for zero, and everything you try to do good builds your score up. So it's that kind of. Do you do physics because of it, to see that everybody's a good being? It's what they do. Then make us into a bad person? Or do you start every. Start off with nothing and then build up to being a good person? That's the interpretation of the show. [00:16:49] Speaker D: It was a great show. I think we did really well in 2016 for these kind of like, interesting shows that had a little bit more to them than just. [00:16:58] Speaker A: Well, if we think back to our previous episodes, we talk about stranger things, we talk about games, Thrones. It's high. This was kind of that golden era of TV where budget was unlimited to a certain extent and you could make what you wanted. And that seems to have now turned around. We're into this super cost cutting exercise of Netflix doesn't seem to have faith in any of its shows. One season cancel it and then go might not cancel it. Well, actually, yeah. [00:17:25] Speaker D: What's Good place a Netflix show or was it a like a cv, a CBS or another? Because I know it was NBC versus Evil Dead was a stars. [00:17:36] Speaker B: Yes. [00:17:36] Speaker D: Which was whatever it was in America and then we in the uk, brilliantly, we had it. It was. Wasn't even transmitted on a channel. [00:17:43] Speaker C: No. [00:17:44] Speaker D: It was hidden in the On Demand for Virgin Media at one point and it only had the two seasons. It didn't do the third season and then I had to find the third season when it turned up on some random streamer. It might have been itvx, one of these random things that suddenly find series that are just hidden away on streaming channels. You don't know. It's like the last season of Snowpiercer. [00:18:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:18:05] Speaker D: So that was, that was on Netflix and then the final season was on ITVX or something. [00:18:09] Speaker A: So traditional broadcast NBC in the US so NBC Universal Group, then internationally over here, Netflix. So I think most the titles got a Netflix release. But yeah, I mean it is [00:18:24] Speaker B: a [00:18:24] Speaker A: beautiful show and even slightly spoiling it for Lee, man. [00:18:29] Speaker C: Watch it. [00:18:30] Speaker A: So I think I, I would, I would say if it was a TV series that you've got time to watch, go and seek it out. It is one of the most beautiful endings of TV of all time. [00:18:42] Speaker D: Well, all three of your picks, I'd say are definitely worth watching. Yeah, maybe not Evil Dead if you're a bit horror averse. [00:18:50] Speaker A: If you don't like gore, don't watch Evil Dead. [00:18:54] Speaker C: I think that's a general advice for the whole franchise, like you said. [00:18:58] Speaker A: Yeah, it's the old comedy of comedy. Gore versus. [00:19:02] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:19:03] Speaker A: More hardcore. Suppose Evil Dead Bird, Evil Dead Rise have been on the more hardcore. Yeah, messy side. [00:19:10] Speaker D: Evil Dead, Evil Dead Bash versus the Evil Dead is more something explodes, covers you in gallons and gallons of blood. But something else happens. [00:19:18] Speaker A: It makes you laugh. It's the jackass of the horror French. Something stupid will definitely happen to Ash or Deadite at some point during the show. But yes, definitely recommended. So to recap those three TV series, Kim's Convenience, Ash vs Evil Dead and the Good Place. So it's time to look at some events more local to us here in Birmingham. So over the summer there will be some events appearing in the city. Kids are out of school, people need to find something to do, find somewhere in the shade, get out the Heat, maybe get out there, very warm houses, and don't try and get a bit of breeze. So we thought we'd round up some of the local events about what's going on. So the first one, if you live in Birmingham, you probably might have even seen these before. But it's wild in art central bit. Birmingham are collaborating with Peanuts, so there are Snoopies all over the city. So if you don't know who Snoopy is. [00:20:22] Speaker D: Keith, He's Charlie Brown's dog, as our comics version. Hey, Peanuts. Yeah. [00:20:28] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:20:29] Speaker D: Charles. Charles Schultz invented him. [00:20:31] Speaker A: Yes, many. [00:20:32] Speaker C: Yeah. If you don't know who, like, who Snoopy is, then, hi, welcome to Earth. Yes. [00:20:39] Speaker D: Next you'll be telling me you don't know who Woodstock is. Yes. [00:20:41] Speaker B: I like the idea that someone won't know who Snoopy is, but will know who Charles Schultz is or Charlie Brown. Good grief. [00:20:47] Speaker A: Yeah, Maybe they watch the. The classic cartoon. The Christmas specials are not really. [00:20:54] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:20:54] Speaker C: Anybody. [00:20:54] Speaker D: Anybody who's got an Apple TV should know Snoopy. They're promoting his new TV series that's coming soon. [00:20:59] Speaker B: Yes. [00:21:00] Speaker A: But, yes, Snoopy. Snoopy is Charlie Rounds dog. [00:21:02] Speaker D: There's songs about Snoopy. It must be on Spotify somewhere. [00:21:05] Speaker B: Look it up, kids. [00:21:06] Speaker C: There's a rap. There's a rapper named after Snoopy. [00:21:10] Speaker D: Snoopy versus the Red Baron is a whole song. [00:21:12] Speaker B: Yes. [00:21:13] Speaker D: It's like, educate yourself, kids. [00:21:15] Speaker A: Yeah. If you remember something called a newspaper, there used to be comics in the back of them. And there used to be a panel strip called Peanuts. And that's where it started off. And then it's grown into a major franchise. But, yes, Snoopy is probably the most marketable little beagle in the world. But everybody noticed. [00:21:31] Speaker B: Yep. [00:21:32] Speaker A: Yes. So as part of that, to celebrate and keep the kids busy, give you something to do wandering around Birmingham. There are 12 sculptures of Snoopy around Birmingham and raising money for Acorns Children's Hospice. So Viv and I, producer Viv, who hides behind the screen, went to Trenton Gardens recently and had a very similar kind of Snoopy trail. It's basically Snoopy's dog house, which is, again, instantly recognizable. Standard dog house painted in red and Snoopy lying on the top of it. [00:22:06] Speaker B: So. [00:22:07] Speaker D: But, yes, it's an iconic image. [00:22:09] Speaker C: And that. [00:22:09] Speaker D: That doghouse becomes an airplane. [00:22:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:11] Speaker D: Was it last year or the year before? Sam, they had the balls in the city. [00:22:15] Speaker B: Yes. [00:22:15] Speaker D: And we'd had bears. [00:22:16] Speaker A: We'd have bears. We've had owls. [00:22:18] Speaker D: Yeah, I made one of the owls. Yeah, we make one of the owls. Did one. We did One of those. When I was working for Community Arts we did one for around Kis Green area. [00:22:27] Speaker B: So that's. [00:22:28] Speaker D: That's quite good. It's a regular thing for. Yeah. Wild in arts. [00:22:32] Speaker A: Yeah, Wild and art. Do quite a lot of collaborations all over the country, I think. [00:22:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:22:35] Speaker A: So we've had a. [00:22:36] Speaker D: Did we have a gromm one year? I think somewhere has had a problem. [00:22:42] Speaker A: I think it was somewhere else in the UK. But yeah. So there's 12 snoopies to find across the city. They're already installed. They got installed this Thursday which is July 9th and it's running until September 1st. You can download a map from the website or go to the central bid website and there'll be a link on there and then you can go and find them and take them all off, basically. So it is 75th anniversary was last year I think for Snoopy which is why we did it Trenton. So this is kind of celebrate 75 years of peanuts comic and Snoopy appearing. [00:23:15] Speaker B: I quite like as well that normally with the world in art pieces it's the whole model is decorated and it can look a bit odd sometimes, but with the Snoopies and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they've only sort of decorated the doghouse part. Snoopy sat on the Ador Kaus which has been decorated by local artists. [00:23:36] Speaker D: I think it's a good way of doing it actually. It makes it much more of iconic. [00:23:41] Speaker B: Really. [00:23:41] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:23:41] Speaker A: And I said we went to Trenton, I might throw some of the pictures up here. When we did the trail there, they were really pretty. Definitely worth going around. And there's always some fantastic local artists that they pick as well. So it gives a chance for a bit of a platform for local artists and I believe usually happens at the end of it is they'll auction the. [00:23:58] Speaker D: Generally they all get auctioned off for children's hospital so people can buy them and surprisingly you can get them pretty cheap. [00:24:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:07] Speaker D: You know a few thousand pounds will get you your own Snoopy. Yeah, they're kind of really like ones that have got more famous artists involved in creation of them. Will probably go for a little bit more, but yeah, it's good. Then usually also collect them all together as well at the end of the season. So you can see them all in one place. If you don't manage to see them in their individual locations. [00:24:27] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think they're raising money for Acorns Children's Hospital this time, which is fantastic. Local charity as well. [00:24:32] Speaker D: Go seek them out. Something to do this summer. [00:24:35] Speaker A: Talking of things to do in the summer, it is back at Botanical Gardens again for their amazing summer screening series. So if you don't know about this, over a weekend, I believe it's 13th to 16th August this year. Three or four films they pick giant screen, usually in collaboration with Fat Pack and the lovely Mockingbird Cinema. They all screen a selection of classic and cult movies basically on the lawn there and everybody comes down, grabs a picnic blanket, has a sit down and watches a fantastic film. So this year the selections of choice are Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg's best film. [00:25:18] Speaker B: It's up there. [00:25:19] Speaker C: It is up there, but I don't know. [00:25:22] Speaker D: It's certainly the best dinosaur film. [00:25:24] Speaker B: That feels like a debate for another episode. [00:25:27] Speaker D: I fill in as a versus. [00:25:30] Speaker B: I would say there is. I will happily take any excuse to watch Jurassic Park. And yeah, watching it. Yeah, sometimes should be cool. [00:25:36] Speaker A: So screening this one on 16th of August, I mean tickets for these events go rapidly. So if you probably. If you don't book by the time you listen to this episode, good luck. But yeah, so Jurassic. Jurassic park, they're doing that on Saturday night. Fantastic film. Can't really talk anymore about it. If you're listening to the show, you're probably aware of what Jurassic park is on the 15th of August. Pulp Fiction. [00:26:01] Speaker B: Nice. [00:26:01] Speaker A: So Quentin Tarantino's classic 90s cinema, which kind of made cult popular again, I think to a certain extent. [00:26:13] Speaker D: Yeah, mostly. [00:26:14] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:26:15] Speaker D: So I'm just wondering how loud it's going to be because I've got this idea of you walking past the botanical gardens with no idea it's on and suddenly you hear Samuel L. Jackson, the home. [00:26:26] Speaker A: The one I was thinking of. All the. The restaurant. Restaurant burglary. [00:26:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:26:30] Speaker D: Every one of you. Move it down. Okay. Or shoot every last. Yes, yes. [00:26:36] Speaker A: But of course this is an 18 but endlessly quotable amazing soundtrack. [00:26:40] Speaker D: Maybe you'll be the mother foot. You've won. [00:26:42] Speaker B: Yes. [00:26:43] Speaker A: Melon farmer. [00:26:44] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:26:45] Speaker A: Melon farmer. [00:26:45] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:26:46] Speaker A: On the 14th of August, sinners, recent hit at the Oscars. Directed by Ryan Coogler. Amazing performance by Michael B. Jordan. Playing two roles. [00:27:00] Speaker C: Amazing performance by Michael B. Jordan. And another amazing performance by Michael B. Jordan. [00:27:04] Speaker A: I think he should be nominated for best actor. Best supporting actor. [00:27:09] Speaker D: Controversy. [00:27:10] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. But yeah. Based in prohibition era Deep south vampires. Michael Bjorn. What more can you. [00:27:21] Speaker D: Spoilers. [00:27:23] Speaker A: It's on the poster. [00:27:24] Speaker B: Keep if the weather is still like it is at the moment. [00:27:27] Speaker A: Oh, that's perfect. [00:27:29] Speaker B: Incredibly. [00:27:29] Speaker A: Well, yeah, yeah. [00:27:30] Speaker C: Point. [00:27:31] Speaker A: Yeah. For that kind of heat wave. [00:27:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:27:35] Speaker D: Steamy bayou. Kind Of. [00:27:38] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And again, absolutely fantastic soundtrack as well. Oh, incredible. [00:27:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:27:44] Speaker A: Yes. And then the final film going on the anime Vibe. So if you're aware of this, 4K re release of Akira has recently been dropped at cinemas and they'll be also screening this at Garden Cinema. So groundbreaking anime masterpiece. Win the top three animes of all time, I think along with Ghost of [00:28:08] Speaker C: Chill and one of the most iconic scenes of all time that everyone has coffeeed. [00:28:12] Speaker B: Yes. [00:28:15] Speaker A: Yeah, the bike slowed. I think Ryan Coogler copied that recently in what was the alien one? I forgot? Not Ryan Coogler. Jordan. Yeah, the spaceship one. Nope, nope. Yes. Yeah, yes. Even even got homaged in. Nope. Recently. Yeah. But yeah, absolutely beautifully animated. One of those gorgeous things they ever put on screen. And having the 4K restoration as well from the original master is going to look beautiful. So if you're a fan of cyberpunk, amazing score. Definitely give it a watch. [00:28:50] Speaker D: Yeah, cool. [00:28:51] Speaker A: Moving a. And yeah, if you go to the Birmingham Botanicals Garden website, there'll be all the links on there. Next thing coming up at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is probably boy Joe Lycet. If you, if you've heard of Joe, you and his love for Birmingham fascination. So this is his first ever solo art exhibition, major art exhibition. So over the last 12 months, Lyset has been busy producing works that celebrate an astounded grief and loss. It's free to enter. We open on 29th July through to 21st February 2027, every single day. And yes, I think if you watch any of Joe's shows, you'll have probably noticed his artwork in the background. He does a lot of paintings. Very much tongue in cheek, very much a bold, distinct visual style. [00:29:43] Speaker C: Yeah. Like when you're sort of describing that show, I was like, I don't know how seriously to take this because it's Joe Lysert. Like on the surface it sounds like a very serious thing, but I'm like, but it's Joe Lysett. What's the, what's the twist on this? What's the punchline? [00:29:59] Speaker A: According to the website, and designed to overwhelm and delight, Lycett describes the experience as a neon graveyard. [00:30:07] Speaker B: Part of the joy of his artwork and his stand up shows is the kind of random selection of things that he decides to paint. It sort of comes across as a bit of a punchline in the shows, but to be fair, he has done so many of them now. [00:30:21] Speaker C: Yep. [00:30:22] Speaker B: Yeah. Well worth an exhibition. [00:30:24] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, I'll share this on the screen. [00:30:28] Speaker C: So. [00:30:29] Speaker A: And Keith did appreciate this is kind of kind of vibe that we're going for here. [00:30:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:30:34] Speaker D: It's kind of interesting and a kind of really weird kind of pop art type thing. It's kind of. It's taking swings. That kind of like Andy Warhol esque stuff. [00:30:44] Speaker C: Yeah. Now that I've seen it, I'm like, I can understand what the thing. [00:30:48] Speaker D: He's had a piece in the Royal Academy previously so it's not like he's. I mean he's been in the art kind of field for quite a while so it's kind of like it's kind [00:30:57] Speaker C: of just pops up everywhere. Especially around here. Yeah, yeah. [00:31:01] Speaker B: Sometimes sort of sneak things into. [00:31:03] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:31:03] Speaker B: Exhibitions as well. Doesn't he say? [00:31:05] Speaker A: Yeah, but yeah, I mean he's a very colorful and fun character. [00:31:11] Speaker D: What I like about this as well is they're not. They're not hiding it behind a paywall in the gas hall. This time it's going to be free. So that's quite nice. [00:31:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:31:19] Speaker D: Because I think the more recent photographed comedians one. No, that wasn't. That was in the gas hall. So it's good that you know everybody will be able to go and see this. It won't cost anybody anything. [00:31:30] Speaker A: And if you actually want to have a go at making your own screen print as well, private press are running a couple of dates on 29th July, 28th of October where you can drop in and make your own screen print. Then it's free for experience ages 8 plus up. [00:31:47] Speaker C: Nice. [00:31:48] Speaker A: So good. [00:31:49] Speaker C: I think. I think I'm within the right age range. [00:31:53] Speaker D: You should do it. Screen printing is cool. [00:31:54] Speaker A: Yeah. There's an opportunity to go and have your own kind of experience with making the screen print. Always moving along. Back to Central Bid Birmingham, we have the Back to the Beginning the exhibition at Grand Central Station. So this is running from 3rd July through to 30th September. Looking at a photography exhibition celebrating the final live servo appearance of Aussie Osborne and Black Sabbath last year. So it's 60 meter long exhibition, stunning photographs of Ozzy, Tony, Ioi, Giza, Butler, Bill Ward. Also some of the biggest names in rock and metal history. So you can go there, view all the photos from that event and I believe there's a big 9, 9 meter wallpaper graphic that you can go and have selfies talking in front of you. [00:32:41] Speaker C: Where's this actually taking place? In the grandson is they like taking down all the Lee Child stuff or whatever it was. [00:32:47] Speaker D: You swear the Jet Reacher Yeah, one was. So it'll be along that. That section. And the Jack Reacher one was actually pretty decent. [00:32:53] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:32:54] Speaker D: Considering I didn't know that they were going to put it up. [00:32:56] Speaker C: And then I also didn't know he was from Birmingham. [00:32:59] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. [00:33:00] Speaker A: Lee Child. [00:33:00] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:33:01] Speaker A: Not Jack Reacher. [00:33:03] Speaker C: Imagine that version. [00:33:05] Speaker D: Hey, man, he was Tom Cruise once. They could be a brummy Tom Cruise [00:33:09] Speaker C: trying to do a bromley act. [00:33:10] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:33:11] Speaker D: Tom, if you're watching this, I know you're a big fan of Birmingham, having visited us and filmed quite a significant part of Mission Impossible here. So, yeah, maybe consider a brummy version of Jeffrey. [00:33:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:33:23] Speaker A: But it was an absolutely fantastic Duke show. July last year, I think pretty much rock royalty descended on Birmingham for that weekend. [00:33:32] Speaker C: You could. [00:33:32] Speaker D: You could. These could all merge together. Pretty much most of them could all merge together in one way or another. You could do the Snoopies, you could do the Joe Lysert. You could see the Aussie chair from this gig that's in the museum and art gallery as well at this moment. And also as well, you could then go and see this at Grand Central as you're passing through the. [00:33:51] Speaker A: Make a weekend of it. Yeah, Got plenty of time to experience all of them. So, moving a little bit further out of Birmingham now, so perfect time to [00:34:02] Speaker D: make out about this yesterday. [00:34:05] Speaker A: So, at the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum there is a summer exhibition running from the 4th of July to the 6th of September called 54321. Fab. So this is of people of a certain age. Nostalgia for the 60s, 70s and 8 is a nice, to be fair, stronger than ever before. [00:34:27] Speaker D: So it doesn't actually say that about. [00:34:31] Speaker A: But yes. So, celebrating the TV shows of Jerry and Sylvia Anderson. So puppets on display from thunderbirds, Captain Starlet, Joe 90, Stingray and more unpressed opportunity to see these puppets open Tuesday, Saturdays 10 till 4, 10 to 3 on a Sunday. Free entry with donations welcome. But yes, I mean, Jerry Anderson has a stranglehold, I think, on quite a lot of the youth of the UK with reruns. Especially my. For my age, there was definitely reruns of Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and Stingray on when I was a kid. And then we look at these other stuff like space 1999, UFO, things like that. So if you're interested in sci fi in the uk, you will have probably experienced Jerry Anderson at some point in Space 1999. [00:35:16] Speaker D: Looks aside, I'm not old enough to have seen Thunderbirds when it first aired on the tv. I'm not sure about Captain Scarlett. Yeah, but certainly I was around when they were doing space 1999. [00:35:27] Speaker B: And. [00:35:27] Speaker D: Yeah, all the rest of it. What I've seen of this, I've seen some. What as well as the. The puppets and stuff. What I've noticed is a lot of artwork. Yeah. For the shows. Some. Some of the film posters and things that they did. So there's a lot of visual stuff in this. It looks fantastic. Say to my partner, pretty much after finding out about this, he's like, need to go to Worcester. Because they've. I've had. I've seen smaller exhibitions. [00:35:52] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:35:53] Speaker D: Of this where it's been included with lots of other children's TV stuff. They had one at the. The Childhood Museum in London a few years back. They had a few puppets in there. But this looks pretty extensive, really, so. [00:36:05] Speaker A: And it is crazy to think that back at that time, after the shows were created, most of the sets and they just trashed us and displays went in the bin. Yeah. And the models went in the bin. Because it was a case of shows done now. I mean, you would think about doing that nowadays. So it's quite a lucky experience that they've gone and managed to collect so much stuff in for this exhibition. [00:36:26] Speaker D: But have you got any kind of love or. [00:36:28] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. My dad was a huge fan of all that sort of thing. So whenever it was rerun when I was a kid too, he was always. Yeah. Pointing out in there, making sure I watched it. [00:36:38] Speaker C: It's one of those things that was kind of always kind of like you said, with the reruns and stuff. It would. I'd sort of catch. Catch it as part of, like, too much TV blocks and things like that. And I'm pretty sure that I've attempted, like, the Blue Peter create. You in front of us. [00:36:51] Speaker A: Crazy. Get a yogurt. [00:36:54] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did that at some point. So. Yeah. Yeah. [00:36:57] Speaker D: One of my earliest memories is shooting myself in the face with the missile on the UFO Interceptor. Giving myself a bloody lip by shooting myself in the face with the Interceptor missile, which was lethal. [00:37:06] Speaker A: I have, you know, strings back in that day. [00:37:09] Speaker D: Yeah. It's the most ridiculous design for a spaceship ever. It's a ship with just one big rocket on the front that it fires at UFOs. [00:37:15] Speaker C: I feel like I did have, like, toys of, like, the actual ships as well. Not the full Tracy island set, but I think I had just the ship. [00:37:21] Speaker D: One of the greatest Christmases I ever had when I got space. 1999 Eagles who I. I definitely remember [00:37:28] Speaker B: having a toy of Is it? I'm not going to remember the number, but one of the Thunderbird ships, but it was a green one with a kind of Thunderbird 2. Yeah, it seems to. I wanted them. [00:37:39] Speaker D: The classic one Everybody remembers. [00:37:41] Speaker A: Thunderbird 4 went inside Thunderbird 2. [00:37:43] Speaker B: Yes. [00:37:44] Speaker D: I always had a bit that dropped [00:37:46] Speaker B: out of the toy, which at some point got separated and they never seemed [00:37:51] Speaker D: to find each other again. [00:37:53] Speaker A: It's one thing that always got me on the bed. Five was just a space station and the poor bloke just got left up there on his own at leisure. [00:37:59] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:38:00] Speaker D: John. Poor John. I always think that the first four platforms at new street stations should be color coded, like the Thunderbirds, because it's like. Because Gerry Anderson and ITC and stuff has a quite a big kind of Midland connection. Yeah, yeah. So that's quite a cool thing. [00:38:16] Speaker B: Yes. [00:38:18] Speaker A: So keep an. Outside of bro. We're popping over to Stratford this time. So at the RSC coming very soon is George de Blar Martin's Game of Thrones the Mad King, a new play based on the novels, adapted by Duncan Millen and directed by Dominica Cook. [00:38:34] Speaker D: At least it's not a musical. [00:38:36] Speaker C: I mean, the RSC doing musicals. [00:38:38] Speaker B: Well, I rewatch it. I think it's a musical. [00:38:42] Speaker A: So it's running from 23rd of July through the 5th of September, looking at the final years before the events of the novels, led by basically the Mad King and the fall of the House of Targaryen. [00:38:55] Speaker B: So I believe it's. It's about a tournament at Harrenhal which for fans of the book will remember. It's where Rhaegar Targaryen declared Lyanna Stark instead of his wife Elia Martell as the Queen of Love and Beauty, I think the title is. But essentially passed over his wife to declare his love for Lyanna Stark, which was one of the things that sort of sparked the rebellion and. Yeah. So quite the pivotal moment in Game of Thrones history. And lots of big names both from. That you would recognise from TV show and from the sort of recent history of the series all in one place at the same time. [00:39:45] Speaker C: See, when you say that it's being performed at the RSC though, I'm just like, is it going to go full Shakespearean dialogue or. [00:39:53] Speaker B: Well, it's. [00:39:53] Speaker A: It's on a cross shaped stage, so it's going to be a unique kind of experience. No seats going to be like the same because you're going to have a different viewpoint. But yeah, so I think it's pretty much already booked out a lot of the seats. It's quite, it's very, very popular. [00:40:11] Speaker B: Basically believe there were going to be previews this week which I was going to go to, and they've had technical issues which meant the previews had been cancelled. So put another date in. Yeah, so there might be some tickets for the other date, but you have [00:40:28] Speaker A: to be quite lucky. I think looking through the website, most of the dates are saying something like 20 tickets available, 15 tickets stable, 4 tickets available. So if you're not booked pretty quickly at the time of this episode coming out, you might miss out. But I'm assuming they're probably going to film this and maybe release it. [00:40:46] Speaker B: Yeah. Or. Or perhaps put it on tour or something. [00:40:49] Speaker A: Yes, I would do. [00:40:50] Speaker D: I would have thought more than anything they're more likely to do one of those RSC live things that go into cinemas. I would say that would be more likely than putting it out as a like. [00:41:00] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:41:01] Speaker D: Pre recorded video. [00:41:02] Speaker A: But as as to be expected with a Game of Thrones series, expect violence, scenes of an adult nature, strong language, bright flashing lights, loud music, noises and maybe a bit of haze as well. So don't expect it to be a family friendly experience is probably the best [00:41:17] Speaker B: way to do it. [00:41:19] Speaker A: But yeah, that was the last of the summer events that we've selected to have a look at. So yeah, we'll put links to those in the description which will take you through to the geeky memory web page where we put all the events etc that we talked about. So hopefully you'll have a summer full of fun and can escape the heat as well. So looking back at 2016 again, our decade review, Keith, your section for this one. You are a comics export and you picked some of the finest comics released in 2016 for us all to enjoy. [00:41:58] Speaker D: I'm not sure I'd say they're the finest for me. These are comics that I found particularly of interest at that particular time. I've long since lot got rid of the single issues for these but I have managed to keep the collections which is quite good. So I'm gonna pick three titles that came out that bizarrely have similar themes but also still resonate wildly. Now you think 10 years has gone past and yet some of the themes of these stories store have a lot to say. My first pick is going to be Matt Fraction and David Arger's Hawkeye. Dope. This is Keith just dropping in to tell you I do now realize that Hawkeye actually came out between 2012 and 2015 and I only picked up this collection in 2016. Anyway, it's a bloody good series and you should read it. Anyway. Now back to the rest of the show. This was part of the Marvel now run that came out in 2016, and it basically follows Clint Barton, who everybody knows is Hawkeye, who is a superhero without the super. He doesn't have any superhero abilities. He's just a very good archer. But also he has disabilities because he has problems with his hearing, so he can't hear particularly well. [00:43:25] Speaker B: And. [00:43:25] Speaker D: But basically this story, which is a kind of down to earth story, is very much in the vein of kind of the Netflix's Daredevils and power and Power Mans and whatever, where Clint basically breaks away from the kind of regular, more Avengers style of superhero and becomes a landlord of a tenement building in New York City. [00:43:46] Speaker C: Oh, I hate him already. [00:43:48] Speaker D: But the thing is that he does it in a way that kind of like, because he's obviously got made a bit of money, but he's kind of starts to look out after a lot of people that are living in this very deprived area of New York City. They're trying to be forced out. There's a lot of things going on where Clint's just trying to live a. Live a regular life. Kate Bishop, who is Hawkeye as well, kind of in the Marvel movies, appears quite a bit during the run of this series. There's also introduces one of the great Marvel sidekicks in Lucky the Pizza Dog, who's just. Dog is so cool. He just eats pizza. He's wonderful. But there are a lot of other kind of Marvel kind of regulars in here as well that you can get to see somewhere. The kind of kind of superheroes. But it's the dynamics of David Archer's page layouts. He doesn't do the whole run. He does miss a couple of issues which are taken over by Javier Polito. But it's just a magnificent story that is incredibly well told, incredibly well illustrated. One issue is basically told from the point of view of American Sign Language because obviously Plin can't hear so well. So if there's a. There's a lot of that. But it's such a grounded, beautifully beautifully told story that really kind of connects him and Kate and kind of what. What it means to live in a. In a city full of superheroes when you are really a superhero. There's a lot of that kind of like Clint feeling imposter syndrome about like, I'm not a superhero. [00:45:26] Speaker A: Pretty much lifted wholesale, wasn't it, into the mcu. [00:45:30] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:45:30] Speaker A: Hawkeye short run series. They did, yeah. On Disney plus. [00:45:34] Speaker B: Yeah, but it was one of the best Disney plus Marvel series they've done. Yeah. [00:45:39] Speaker D: No, but it. It's the. The artwork is very kind of, like, simple. It's. It's my kind of art. I'm not a big fan of kind of like, fully painted artwork. So you've got the swordsman and stuff is in this run as well. But it's very kind of muted colors, very kind of simple. What's it. Matt Hollingsworth is the colorist on this. Chris Esper. Espalipolos, I believe. Sorry, Chris, if I've got your name wrong. Is the letter on it. But it's magnificent. It is a great, great series. This is the first of two volumes that kind of follow this run. There are several more that go. This collects issues 1 to 5. It does run for quite a while, so it's best to pick it up in the collected editions. But just a great story, incredibly well told, incredibly well illustrated, really grounded. You know, I wouldn't say even Lee would like it, but he might look at a pizza. Dog is a great character, so that's definitely one to pick up, really, Even if you don't like superheroes. I think it's a great story, well told. He's really beautifully done. [00:46:43] Speaker B: You do. [00:46:43] Speaker D: You do feel for what Clint's trying to do later on in the series. He kind of. There's. There's a kind of whole thing where he pulls together all the. All the residents in this building to fight off kind of invading forces as a thing, and they're all coming together. It's really brilliantly done. It's a wonderful, wonderful series. [00:47:03] Speaker B: Marvel. [00:47:04] Speaker D: Marvel, Their Marvel now run had a lot of really good books in it at that time, so it's really good. Bit of a shame at the moment. I don't do as much coverage from the Marvel and DC books. It's all three of these are. So that's all good. [00:47:18] Speaker A: Well, it means that it can bring. [00:47:19] Speaker D: Yeah, I could. I can bring them back. [00:47:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:47:21] Speaker D: So the next two that I'm going to pick out of these three, strangely written by the same writer. Didn't. Hadn't planned this at all. But my next pick is the Omega Men, which is written by Tom King, who people might know now as the writer of Supergirl, Woman of Tomorrow, which has recently been entered. [00:47:43] Speaker A: Adapted. [00:47:44] Speaker D: Adapted into the Supergirl movie. This one is illustrated predominantly by Barnaby Bagenda, with assists from Toby B. Cypress, Ig Guerrera, and Jose Marzan Jr. Which is one of Those kind of things. Sometimes longer run series often have artists filling in for others. But I described this in the Birmingham Graphic Novels Club when we read it a few years back. As a Watchman for the 2000s, it was a book that I didn't really expect. I had a lot of love for the Omega Men as characters from back in the kind of late 80s and early 90s. There was some really cool designs and really cool interesting characters in this. But Tom King is a. A guy who used to work for the CIA. He's got into writing comics and there's just something about his writing. He, he's very much in the Alan Moore vein of deconstructing the expectations. You have superheroes. So in this particular series, Carl Rayner, he used to be a Green Lantern, but at this point he's a White Lantern. Don't ask for me to explain. With the colors of lanterns. Comes back, dies in a way that you don't expect, but doesn't die in a way you don't expect. And it's a book that is incredibly relevant still today. Although it was written at the time. And Tom King is channeling his thoughts and feelings about the September 11th. What the book does cover and what Omega Men covered a lot in its history as well is that idea of freedom fighters and terrorists and depending on which side you're on, what that means. Who, who is the villain, who is the hero? And this is an incredibly well told story that on a cosmic scale reflects on that idea of who is doing the right thing, who is doing the bad things and doing bad things for the right reasons. Is that any better or worse? And it's just a wonderfully told story. 12 issues maxi series. Tom King's gone on to do a lot of these. He's gone on since to do Miracle Man, Adam Strange, the Supergirl story. But I was, I was incredibly gripped by the arts. Got really beautiful as well. Some really nice page things. There are a lot of kind of things which potentially led me to this idea of it was kind of a modern Watchman. There's a lot of nine panel pages, which is what Dave Gibbons and John Higgins did with the Watchmen series. So you get a lot of that kind of feel. And whether it's intentional or not, there is a. There is a very sense of Watchmen in this. Possibly leads into kind of what later people were doing with things like Doomsday Clock or whatever it is. And there's some beautiful covers that are, that are, that are in this series as well. But it's It's a series that a lot of people won't have any kind of history with, and it may have passed a lot of people by. It began officially in October, November 2015, but 12 issues ran through, so the majority of it was published in 2016. And I think if you just love comics and you love comics that have something to say, this is definitely a series to pick up. And if you liked Watchmen, I do think this is very much in the same vein of that. And I, I was absolutely blown away with it at the time and I thought it was a great series. Has a lot to say. It's still incredibly relevant today, sadly, but it's a fantastic read. So that's Tom King's Omega Men. [00:51:40] Speaker C: Anything to do with the Omega Man? [00:51:42] Speaker D: No, it's the Omega Men. They're a group of kind of like space pirates, terrorists, freedom. [00:51:50] Speaker C: Because when you were talking about, like, who wrote it, I forgot the name of the author of Imagine. So it's like, hang on. [00:51:57] Speaker D: The first, the first Omega man series I read was kind of one of the first kind of direct market DC books that they did in the early 80s, which was like in a much nicer format, slightly better covers and all the rest of it. I'm really, I really love that. And then Tom King is back again for my last pick. Which is the Visions. Which is the Vision, as you might know from the mcu, Paul Bethany Poor, played by Paul Bettany. This is Tom King again, this time illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez Walter with colors by Jodi Belair. And this basically is the Vision trying to live the life of a suburban husband. So he creates an artificial family, including a dog, which is brilliant, and he [00:52:52] Speaker C: tries to live for a dog. In the Omega Men, there is. [00:52:55] Speaker D: There is a kind of a wolf man thing. So there's a doggy. There's a doggy. Like he's more of a cat. [00:53:02] Speaker A: Let's see where this is. [00:53:04] Speaker D: Dog theme The Omega one's probably more feline than dog, but yeah, there's a lot of animals. But this is the kind of the Vision trying to live a suburban life in a suburban neighborhood with his wife and two children and his pet dog. But obviously when you're a superhero with a history in the Avengers, life is never normal. And a kind of marble sea level villain, the Grim Reaper, appears and things do not go well. Again, this is kind of a 12 issue series which is. Seems to be Tom King's thing that kind of deconstructs the Vision and what it means to be alive. What it Means to be part of a family. Thematically, a lot of his books will deal with trauma. Obviously Omega Men to trauma following 911 family trauma in the Vision. Death, murder, all that kind of thing is stuff that he does with Supergirl. So a lot of really bad things happen in the Vision. Stuff that is really traumatic in a way. And it's how Vis deals with that, how he copes with it, how it affects him going forwards, how it affects his artificial children. I won't spoil too much about it because I think you do need to read it to see actually what's going to happen in it. But it's a. It's a beautifully told story because again, much like Hawkeye, it's transitioning that superhero sensibility into a more realistic setting. And it's like he's living in a suburban house, picket fences, all that kind of stuff. [00:54:51] Speaker C: And. [00:54:51] Speaker D: And things do not go well. And it's. And it's just a. You know, the Vision is an artificial creature, but it's that kind of thing about like, what does it mean to be alive? What does it mean to be real human? So there's a lot of existential questions being asked and a lot of things go there. You know, can an artificial heart be broken? Which it addresses in some very heartfelt ways. But all three of these books I absolutely adore, they are really well told stories. Beautifully told, beautifully illustrated. I will reread them on a semi regular basis because they are such good stories. And again, you can pretty much. The Omega Men is one collection that's a Run and Gun. The Vision is a two volume series. Oh, the verse, the version I've got. I think they do do it now where you can get all 12 issues in one single trade. Give one sitting, single trade. Same with Hawkeye. That's a. That's a couple of volumes, but you can probably pick them up all there. But I would. I'd recommend all three. I wouldn't say, you know, one over the others. I think if you're going to read them, read all three of them. They're really, really well told stories in which. The same way there's a lot of the books I mentioned in the previous 2016 run back where we talked about Paul Dini's thing with Batman, about how that I seem to have focused in on books that are all about a lot of kind of trauma. Are you feeling okay? [00:56:31] Speaker C: Do we need to have an intervention where you could. [00:56:34] Speaker D: People are grappling with kind of things that aren't going well. [00:56:38] Speaker B: I mean, it was the year Donald Trump was elected. [00:56:40] Speaker D: Yeah, so I think we would, I think. And again, because of the content, they're still very relevant now. [00:56:49] Speaker A: So. [00:56:49] Speaker D: Yeah, so dive in. I recommend all of them wholeheartedly and you should rush out and buy all three of these books. [00:56:56] Speaker A: Yeah, I think it's a very telling thing that if you watch the MCU and you're really involved in that, that's where these gems of ideas come from. And I think kind of does slight disservice to the writers and the artists of the comic books that, yeah, they list wholesale and it's inspiration rather than acknowledging it was one of the tales that are there before it was. [00:57:16] Speaker D: One of my few issues with the Supergirl movie is the way Tom King dealt with things was much more interesting than what they actually did in the film. So the Tom King version is slightly more left to the reader to interpret. But he, he's one of those writers I think people either jive with or don't jive with. But I found a lot of his stuff is really, really good. I've enjoyed Miracle Man, I've enjoyed Adam Strange, enjoyed Omega Man, I've enjoyed Supergirl. So he's done a lot of good stuff over the times and he picks really good artists to work with as well. So all three Hawkeye, Omega Men and the Visions, fully wholeheartedly recommended. [00:58:00] Speaker C: Thank you. [00:58:07] Speaker A: It's time for our regular roundup of the one geek thing that has been obsessing our lives since our last recording, be it comic movie, video game, tv, etc, so let's kick off with Lee. Lee, what have you been geeking over? [00:58:23] Speaker C: So I kind of want to talk about a game that sort of released recently which has probably kind of gone under the radar a bit. It's a game called Dimhaven, the Lost Source. So it is basically sort of a puzzle adventure game kind of thing. The developers have stated they're very inspired by Myst, although this isn't quite as obtuse as mystery. I think from what I've seen, like the previous game they've done is a lot more like missed. This one's a bit sort of kind of more like a first person point and click adventure is probably the best way to describe it. You're playing as this woman whose uncle has gone missing. He's been involved in some secret project on this like, remote island and it's. It's so remote that the only way you can access it is by parachuting onto it because there's no actual like airstrip or anything. And basically the Whole game is you just like progressing through different parts of it by solving puzzles. And the game tells you up front when you load it up. This is a puzzle game. You will have to think. And we're not going to guide you through the whole process. You have to figure things out. And I appreciate that. This is a game that's just like, this is a puzzle game. It's going to be difficult. You're going to have to make notes, you're going to have to do all this. One thing I really liked about it as well is that you could take photos as you go along. So there's an in. In game camera. So if you sort of see things that you're like, oh, is this a clue? You take pictures of it and you've got like a whole record of everything just in game. I picked it up because I played the demo of it just because it sounded interesting. And as soon as I played the demo of it, I was like, I need to play this whole thing now because it's one of those. It's one of those puzzle games where, like, it kind of becomes weirdly addictive for me where it's like, you know, as you're sort of starting to put the clues together and it just has this sort of euphoric sense of like, oh, yeah, I figured it out. I'm really smart. Let's keep going and see what else I can do. Because, like, just to kind of give you an example of how the game works, like, the demo is at the very first area, and you have to basically get through the automated immigration system on this island, which requires a passport which has been stolen by seagull. So you've got to figure out how to get your passport back from the seagull. You need to get a. And you need to get a visa as well, but there's no one around, so you've got to figure this out yourself. So the whole thing involves you, like, figuring out, like, oh, well, you know, we could distract the seeker with food, but the only food is a vending machine. But there's no power, so how do we get the power back on? And it's all these sorts of things. There's like, how do I get into the. The office where I can access the visa applications? How do I figure out what I need, what the number is on the visa, and all this sort of stuff. And it's just kind of gradually unraveling all of these clues. Like I said, just every area is just this sort of little mini puzzle box of things a Lot of it's like, some of it's like getting power back on, some of it's like accessing hidden rooms and all this sort of stuff. And it's just like a really, really like interesting little adventure game. Really well designed puzzles and just. I highly recommend it for like anyone who's like really into sort of puzzle based adventure games. Really. [01:01:56] Speaker B: Yes. [01:01:57] Speaker A: Blueprint Prints was quite popular recently. So it's kind of blueprint. It has kind of kicked up that I think puzzle games are getting back into a bit more popularity now. [01:02:07] Speaker C: I think it also, it was kind of kicked off a bit earlier with things like Return of the Obra Dinn as well because that's, that's one that I really love as well. And it's like as soon as I played that I was like, all right, more people need to make games like this because I just love this game. And then the Root Trees are Dead came out and I love that too. But yeah, like I, I just really like these sorts of games where it's just like you have to properly engage with what the game's putting in front of you. It does have a hint system and it's probably one of the best hint systems I've seen because it doesn't again, it doesn't just sort of go like, all right, here's the solution. It sort of says like, have you maybe checked in this sort of area? You know, it doesn't tell you outright, just sort of guide you. [01:02:49] Speaker A: Doesn't have yellow paint drawing arrows on, oh, you can climb this ledge. [01:02:53] Speaker C: I just, I think like that hint system is a really good one because even like if you go through the whole thing, it rarely ever tells you the actual solution. It just sort of points you, it just puts arrows and the arrows get more and more obvious as you go down. But you still have to kind of figure something out from there. It's more just, it gives you more clues, more information of like this is what you need to do. So yeah, it's a really good game on Steam. It is on Steam. [01:03:24] Speaker A: Any of the consoles. [01:03:25] Speaker C: I don't think it's. I think it's only on Steam. [01:03:29] Speaker B: Thank you. [01:03:30] Speaker A: Sam. How about yourself? [01:03:33] Speaker B: One of my favorite animated TV shows is Back X Men 97 which we've spoken about before when it, when the previous season came out, obviously a continuation of the 90s TV show with one of the best theme tunes in TV history. So the, the previous season ended and spoilers with the X Men being kind of scattered across time. So half of them were sent off to the far future and half to the distant past in ancient Egypt. With the kind of connection being the villain Apocalypse, who was at sort of the height of his powers at the time in the future that they've gone to, and was just kind of starting out and kind of finding his feet in ancient Egypt. [01:04:30] Speaker A: The first mutant, I believe. [01:04:32] Speaker D: Yes. [01:04:33] Speaker B: Yeah. So at the time of recording, we're four episodes in to the new season, and they've done quite a good job of kind of splitting out. So the first episode or a couple of episodes, I think, focus very much on the future kind of plotline, and then there's a couple that are very much focused on the ancient Egypt one. So you're giving the characters time to properly develop and kind of showcase their stories. There's also been quite a fun side episode where they had X Factor and X Force, I Believe, which had its own tailored version of the theme tune, which I quite enjoyed as well. And, yeah, it's been really exciting. All the stuff in ancient Egypt has been great fun to watch as a sort of history nerd. Not that it's remotely linked to any actual history, but there's some appearances from at least one other major Marvel villain as well. And yeah, it's just been really good fun. It's kind of thrown you straight back into the story. Previous season was one of the highlights of, well, I'd say of Disney so far. And yeah, again, carrying on with the. The same cast as before. Yeah, it's been. Been fantastic so far. [01:06:19] Speaker A: So that's one of my favorite things that's come out in the series is people now realizing that it's not laser shoe now cyclops eyes, but punches from the punch dimension. That's the blast of punch from the punch direction. [01:06:35] Speaker B: Not sure I caught on to that. [01:06:37] Speaker A: Yeah, it was all over Reddit with the first use clue. [01:06:40] Speaker C: It's like. [01:06:40] Speaker A: Well, they're not not lasers. It's like. No, it doesn't heat stuff up. It's just. Just punches. Things from the punch dimension. Just connects to the punch dimension via his eyes. But yeah, I mean, the series has been fantastic, I think. And again, allegorical tale for quite a lot of stuff that's going on in the world today and previously. Yes, yes. And it's weird how. How this kind of theme just keeps popping up all over again every time, but people who live on the fringe of society. [01:07:12] Speaker B: I think there's been quite a few shows that have been doing that lately with, yeah, Daredevil and the Boys jumping out as obvious examples. [01:07:21] Speaker A: But, yep, awesome. Thank you. And that's on Disney plus here in the uk. [01:07:25] Speaker B: It is indeed. Yeah. Every Wednesday, I believe is. Yes, yes. [01:07:29] Speaker A: Now we're just gonna have the theme tune stick to my head for the rest of the. Yeah, you're welcome, Keith. How about yourself? [01:07:38] Speaker D: My one geek thing is, was a comic, was a cartoon in the 90s. [01:07:45] Speaker C: The X Men 97 again. [01:07:48] Speaker D: No, this, this is. This is because regardless of the other stuff that's on Netflix at the moment, for some bizarre reason, they've chosen to bring back a show that I found incredibly difficult to watch when it first came out, I think because it was on MTV and I didn't have mtv and the DVD was like. There was no UK release of it, but it was a. A live. The first time liveaction attempt at a character created by Ben Edlund, played by, and I've forgotten his name now, Patrick War. Patrick Warburton. Yes, Patrick Wolverine, whose voice is magnificent. [01:08:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:08:30] Speaker D: But this was the first live action attempt at the Tick, which for some reason Netflix has decided to bring to its streaming channels. So this is from the kind of early 2000s. We'd had the comic in the the 80s, which was brilliant. It was kind of very much in that kind of parody superhero thing that kind of. We had kind of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all that kind of stuff coming out of. And there was a three season cartoon series which I think was. Was in some way connected to MTV much the same way as kind of Spawn in the Pit was. And then Patrick Warburton was the lead in the. This nine episode live action version, which unlike the TV show, the cartoon actually is more accurate to the cut the comic, which is more character based rather than action based. The cartoon was kind of a little bit more led by the kind of action stuff, obviously trying to compete with things like Spider man and X Men and whatever it is. But this live action series is just brilliant. It's. It's funny, it's heartfelt. Patrick Warburton is pretty damned perfect as the Tick. His voice is fantastic. [01:09:40] Speaker A: Imagine anybody else playing him there. [01:09:43] Speaker D: You say this, but then there's the reboot, which is due to dropping Netflix in the next few weeks, which ran for two seasons. Amazingly, I think went out on Amazon when it first came home, which the Patrick Warburton character is taken over by, of all people, Peter Saranathovich. It kind of works. But if you've ever seen Patrick Warburton, you can't do it any other way. And it's just nonsense. It's just about the Tick who Just believes he is the greatest superhero ever to exist. Has no sense of anything other than himself. Pretty much. He's just so willfully goofy and it's just a lug. And just thinks whatever he does is the perfect solution to everything. It's like he's all very much kind of hands on hips. That kind of typical walking through walls. Whatever it is. [01:10:33] Speaker C: I will say that when. When you said that, like, the cartoon was like, competing with stuff like Spider man and X Men, I always as a kid associated more with the Earth One Gym cartoon. It's the same kind of tone. [01:10:44] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:10:45] Speaker B: Yes. [01:10:46] Speaker A: Yeah. That whole goofy, cartoony, ridiculous Earth R [01:10:51] Speaker C: is basically one of the few superheroes I've actually gotten into. [01:10:54] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:10:54] Speaker D: But it's goofy in a way because it's stupid. But it's stupid, but has a lot of heart. And you kind of feel for all the characters because the side characters are what kind of makes it. You've got this central character of the Tick, but it's like Captain Liberty and Arthur, who is his sidekick. [01:11:11] Speaker C: Is that the rabbit guy? Right. [01:11:13] Speaker D: He's a moth. [01:11:14] Speaker C: Okay. We saw him as a rabbit. [01:11:17] Speaker D: It's because of the ears. [01:11:17] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:11:18] Speaker D: Which are antennae. And I think every. People do mistake that. [01:11:21] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:11:22] Speaker D: The Ticks. The Tick. But Arthur's. [01:11:24] Speaker A: Arthur's. [01:11:24] Speaker D: Arthur's a moth. [01:11:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:11:27] Speaker D: And it's just wonderful. And it's a shame that it only ran for nine episodes because it is. It is just gloriously brilliant. And if you've. If you've ever encountered a comic before. [01:11:38] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:11:38] Speaker D: It's very much in that kind of [01:11:40] Speaker A: like, I always remember being one of the most over the top superhero costumes. It is just bright. [01:11:45] Speaker D: It's just incredibly blue. [01:11:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:11:47] Speaker D: Which is. Which is. And I mean, somehow the costume and Warburton look like the character in the Carter in the comic as well. [01:11:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:11:53] Speaker D: Which is the kind of typically, you know, Superman, Charles Atlas, like, you know, and Sideshow Strongman look. [01:12:03] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:12:04] Speaker D: And it's wonderful. And I was shocked when I saw it come up on the Coming soon on Netflix. I went straight in my Remind Me list. [01:12:12] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:12:12] Speaker D: Because I haven't seen it in years. I think I've got the imported DVD stash somewhere in a box somewhere. But in the UK particularly, it was really hard to kind of watch. I think it might have gone out on mtv. I'm not quite sure. [01:12:27] Speaker A: MTV had such great content in the 90s, and it was hidden for years over here. The thing is, like, stuff like Aeon Flux, the original runner. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:12:37] Speaker D: Stuff the Max as well, which was another good series, but yeah. So nine episodes. You could binge it if you want to, but it's highly recommended. And Patrick Warburton is just the perfect bit of casting. [01:12:51] Speaker B: He always is. I totally watch anything. Yeah. [01:12:56] Speaker A: It's like caramel to your ears. [01:12:57] Speaker D: It was kind of, I think, like there's a similar vibe to when he appears in the Emperor's New Groove as well. There's that sense of it. [01:13:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:13:05] Speaker A: For the legal problem. [01:13:06] Speaker D: Yeah. So there's all of that. But he's wonderful. [01:13:09] Speaker B: If you haven't seen Netflix's version of A Series of Unfortunate Events where he plays Lemony Snicket, that very, very much in the same vein as A Good Place, I thought. And in the. Yeah, yeah. [01:13:22] Speaker A: He also cameos in Dungeon Crawler Cole. I'm not going to tell you the role because you're still reading it. [01:13:27] Speaker D: Oh, okay. [01:13:28] Speaker A: He has a cameo in Dungeon Crawler Carl in one of the audiobooks. [01:13:31] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:13:32] Speaker D: He's got one of those voices. I just go, why isn't Patrick Warburton, like an absolute megastar? Because he's wonderful. His voice is fantastic. [01:13:42] Speaker A: Pretty much lots of stuff. [01:13:44] Speaker D: Yeah. It's the voice more than anything. It's just perfect. But yeah. Thank you, Netflix. I'm really happy that you might have allowed me to watch the Tick again for the first time in probably 20 years, maybe. [01:13:57] Speaker B: So. [01:13:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:13:57] Speaker B: So. [01:13:58] Speaker D: But highly recommended. [01:14:00] Speaker A: Thank you. [01:14:01] Speaker D: And what's your choice? [01:14:03] Speaker A: So I've been looking at quite a lot of gaps in my cultural historical knowledge over the last few years. So I thought I'd go back and watch Some kind of 60s, 70s classic sci fi shows and kind of fill that gap in because this, this fill this series I'm going to talk about has had a lot of influence on stuff that I've watched elsewhere. So I thought this would be good to go back and watch this originating series because the influence it's had on so much of the other cultural stuff that I like. So I have page which is currently streaming on ITVX here in the UK. The Prisoner From 1967, Patrick McGoohan's follow up to Danger man. [01:14:45] Speaker C: Alleged. [01:14:46] Speaker A: Alleged follow up to Danger man, which is basically, he works for the Secret Intelligence Service of the uk, decides to resign, wants to go on a trip abroad and is abducted and spirited to a mysterious coastal town, which we don't know where it is, we don't know who's involved and we don't know who's running said town. But the whole purpose is they want to get information out of him. [01:15:11] Speaker C: I mean, we do know where it is. It's Port Marion. [01:15:14] Speaker A: In the concept of the show. We don't know where it is, but yeah, so so much stuff has been influenced this. I think Twin Peaks is a massive amount of influence from this stuff we were talking about earlier. It's one of those cultural touchstones, I think, of British sci fi. [01:15:32] Speaker C: I know that Atom Fall references are heavily. Yeah. Like, it's like they reference like every bit of like 60s and 70s British sci fi. But, like, that is like given a lot of extra attention. [01:15:44] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think talking about the Good Place earlier in the show that has kind of a cultural reference here to the prisoner of this perfectly constructed village of. Everybody's acting normally, everybody's enjoying themselves, but is it all as it seems? And yes. So the concept of the show is he gets whisked away, gets given a property in this mysterious village, which Portmey News is beautifully in. The show is absolutely beautifully shot. The color on it is amazing. I do recommend going back and watching it, but, yes, he is. Then his name is removed and he is just called Number Six. Everybody in this village is just carries a number, not a name. And that's kind of one of the things of. He's trying to fight for his identity in this maskless society. [01:16:26] Speaker D: I'm not a number, I'm a free man. [01:16:28] Speaker A: Yeah. But, yeah, I mean, there's. He has a. It's basically him rebelling against this entire concept of no identity. You're there as an information giver only and they have a rotating cast of somebody called Number Two, who's the second most important person in the village. You never get to see who Number One is for most of the series, as far as I am aware. I'm about 10 episodes in. [01:16:52] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:16:52] Speaker A: So I'm not going to spoil it. [01:16:53] Speaker C: But. [01:16:54] Speaker A: Yeah, but halfway through. But yeah, the. The whole thing is Number Two is there and he's trying to extract information out of Number Six. And the Number twos get replaced quite frequently during the series. I think more than two or three of them have lasted more than an episode so far. [01:17:10] Speaker D: Prominence is. [01:17:11] Speaker A: Yes. [01:17:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:17:12] Speaker A: Like the current UK prime ministers. Yes. The last episode I watched had the wonderful Peter Wingard as Number Two. You might know as Cleitus from Fletch Gordon. Beautiful man. I think he dad his own big TV series, didn't he? [01:17:26] Speaker D: He was [01:17:29] Speaker B: King. [01:17:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:17:31] Speaker B: Jason King. [01:17:32] Speaker A: Yeah, Jason King. [01:17:33] Speaker B: But yes. [01:17:33] Speaker A: So it was kind of. I feel like this is a gap that if you're a sci fi Fan of the uk. It's definitely worth going back and watching it. That's this whole individualism versus collectivism thing of. And him trying to rebel against society and rebel against how this world is structured. And I think it builds up every episode of him trying to like create a resistance to this. This world. Absolutely. Absolutely amazing. Patrick McGowan is great as number six. I mean, it was his concept of the series. Thank you, words Executive producer. I think he wrote kind of the Bible and how this relief was going to work. And it was his own. His baby, basically. And there's a fantastic character actor list of people in the UK, so any 60s actor worth their salt from the UK probably turns up in this at some point. Beautifully shot in Port Meiran, as you mentioned, this kind of weird, surreal Italian pastiche which is in Wales. It's not too far from E, if you want to. [01:18:37] Speaker D: Why it was used in the series is because it's mixed architecture, so it's not one place. It's lots of. Lots of places together, which makes it difficult to pinpoint it. So it's boroughs, Cliff Burrows, Ellis. Can't remember the name of the name. Yeah, I've. I've made a. Many a homage to Port Marianne. There's a bust of Patrick McGowan there and you can stop in the houses that the prison's in. Prison shop. Yeah. [01:19:01] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean. Oh, the. [01:19:03] Speaker A: One of the latest episodes of what probably spoilers, but episode called Many Half Returns where he feels he has escaped from the island, returns to his own house and then wakes up back on the island the next day and they've made him a birthday cake. So it's kind of here's your birthday treat as you managed to escape from the island for a day and he thinks he's finally free. But yeah, I mean, it's such a beautifully made show. The color on it is amazing. I think it was broadcast in black and white here in the UK originally. [01:19:31] Speaker D: Well, it would have been because there was no color television here. Yeah, but, yeah, it was shot in color. [01:19:37] Speaker A: Yeah, but it's absolutely beautiful. Amazing soundtrack as well and some really good song. I think it's being pastiched so many times now. [01:19:45] Speaker D: Simpsons. [01:19:46] Speaker C: Yeah, the Simpsons was how I was introduced to the Prisoner because of the many references they made over the years. [01:19:52] Speaker D: What do you think of the Rovers? [01:19:54] Speaker A: The ball? [01:19:56] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:19:56] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:19:57] Speaker A: If you're trying to escape, it's definitely a product of its time and cost, but it's still quite sinister to this day. This big kind of just white ball enveloping you. And when they have the close ups on the face of the. The rubber stretched over your face. [01:20:12] Speaker D: Hey, man. I'd just say like a gelatinous cube has got a lot of history to that. [01:20:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:20:18] Speaker A: But I think, as I said, it's a cornerstone of British culture, I think. And it gives us that kind of 60s counterculture vibe as well. Was happening at the time. A lot of stuff that's in there we see today as well in other sci fi elements such as neuralistic programming, drugging, psychodrama, autonomous security systems, those kind of things. Kind of. There's the gems of the idea in here. And yeah, some of the number twos that they have are absolutely fantastic actors. It's always this kind of strength of wills against Number six and number two and the rest of the island. Because that's the other thing is like you don't know who's there as a captive. Know who's there as a security guard or a prisoner, because everybody just has a number. So it's that thing of who can you trust when you can't trust anyone. [01:21:07] Speaker D: If I remember as well, they don't even refer to the fact that number twos have changed. No, they just have [01:21:15] Speaker A: credits. I'm the new number two. And what do you want? Information. Who's number one? And then just goes, you're number six. It's kind of repeated at the start of every episode. [01:21:23] Speaker D: Yeah. And the title sequence is basically how he retires and gets taken to the island. Yes, well, taken to the village. [01:21:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:21:30] Speaker D: Just in the. In the credits. That's it. [01:21:32] Speaker A: Brilliant. But yeah, it's a massive impact on pop culture since Free to Watch over here in the UK on ITVX and I think it only runs for about 17 episodes. So it's quite a short running series. I think they're about 50 minutes an episode. [01:21:47] Speaker D: So ban how. [01:21:49] Speaker A: Yeah, definitely worth watching through and enjoying, I think. [01:21:52] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:21:53] Speaker A: If. If you're a sci fi fan in [01:21:54] Speaker D: the UK, I like the idea that you're watching it about 40 years after I watched it [01:22:00] Speaker A: was what, 67. So next year will be its 60th anniversary. [01:22:04] Speaker D: I think I first. I first watched it when it was a rerun on Channel 4. [01:22:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:22:07] Speaker D: Back in the early 80s. [01:22:09] Speaker A: I think it was 83, 84 when I was one. So I missed that one, unfortunately. Maybe it was on when I was a child. [01:22:16] Speaker D: I think it was one of the. One of the first things that Channel 4 put on when Channel 4 started in 84. [01:22:20] Speaker A: Yeah. But it's definitely worth your time to go back and watch it. If you've got any kind of British cultural history. Cool. [01:22:30] Speaker D: You're not doing a recap. [01:22:31] Speaker A: Yes, we can do a recap. [01:22:32] Speaker B: Do a recap. [01:22:34] Speaker A: Lee, what was your name? [01:22:35] Speaker C: Dimhaven, the Lost Source, South X Men [01:22:39] Speaker B: 97, Keith Patrick Y. Burton's The Tick [01:22:42] Speaker A: and for me the Prisoner, the 1967 TV series. [01:22:46] Speaker D: Excellent. [01:22:53] Speaker A: Thanks for joining us on this issue of Geeky Ruby. If you want to find out about any of the stuff we talked about, don't forget to check out the link to the Geeky Ruby website page in the description. But yep, I shall now hand over to my co host to introduce themselves. So Lee, where can we find you online? [01:23:10] Speaker C: You can find me on YouTube at Bob Petfur where I post videos every two weeks. Weeks I am doing this. It is going to happen. I've been doing like review videos and stuff while also working on some bigger projects. So keep an eye on that. You can also find me on bluesky [01:23:24] Speaker A: also OB thepetfarret Sam, how are yourself? [01:23:29] Speaker B: You can find me on bluesky threads and Instagram D. Edwards, 89 and on the Geekabramy website every Thursday doing the film Roundup. [01:23:40] Speaker A: Keith, hello yourself. [01:23:42] Speaker D: You can find me on the various socials as Hard Look Hotel and then sporadically at the moment on Wednesdays with the comics roundup that I do on the geeky roomy website and the Geeky roomy socials. [01:23:56] Speaker A: Yeah, and you can find all the Geeky for me socials at Geeky for me on Instagram, Blue sky threads, Facebook, in YouTube of course, if you're watching this on your podcasting service of choice if you're hearing this. Or you can watch it on Spotify now we are uploading the videos to Spotify so you have a choice of YouTube or Spotify as your poison of choice to see us in in person if you do. If you want to add extra to the listening experience. [01:24:23] Speaker D: Yes, and doing doing something there for you. What are people watching? So if you're not watching, you wonder what I'm doing right now. And so tune into our visual version [01:24:34] Speaker A: and as we said on the geeky website. Wednesdays for the comics roundup, Thursdays for the film roundup and Fridays for the gaming roundup. And we shall see you again soon. Bye for now. [01:24:47] Speaker D: Stay cool kids. This issue of the Geeky Bummy Podcast was hosted by Ross Brian Parish with Keith Bloomfield, Lee Price and Sam Edwards. It was produced by Matt Lovell and Viv Parish and was recorded live at the Millennium Point. You can follow us on all of the social medias eekybrummy and you can support the show by visiting ko-fi.com Geeky Brummy this was a Geeky Brummy production and until next time, Tarar A.