What are you watching???
 

I've been binge watching Crime Story, a 1986-87 gritty crime series set in Chicago and Las Vegas. It was produced by Michael Mann who also had a heavy hand in Miami Vice so Vice fans will see a lot of familiar faces. I've always liked retired Chicago cop turned actor Dennis Farina who leads the cast but it's interesting to see how many future stars had parts in this series that unfortunately only lasted two years. I watched Julia Roberts' screen debut, Paul Anka as a non-singing mob courier, and Kevin Spacey as a young Kennedy-esque politician who is prophetically involved in a sex scandal. In addition there are small parts played by Gary Sinise, Michael Wincote, Stanley Tucci, Miles Davis and others...

Like Miami Vice, Crime Story featured heavy use of up-and-coming actors; a number of them made appearances in both shows. Lead actors Dennis Farina, Bill Smitrovich, and John Santucci all appeared in multiple episodes of Miami Vice (though only Farina played a recurring character).

David Caruso appeared as Johnny O'Donnel, a friend of Ray Luca, in the pilot (episodes 1 and 2). He appeared in flashback scenes in episode 12, and in episode 19 of the second season.

Julia Roberts appeared as a juvenile rape victim in the Season 1 episode "The Survivor". It was her first TV appearance.

Kevin Spacey appeared in second-season premiere as a crusading, Kennedy-esque Senator. This was his first major television appearance.

Deborah Harry appeared in the penultimate episode of season 1, "Top Of The World", as one of the girlfriends of Ray Luca. She did not sing.

Paul Anka appeared in the penultimate episode of season 1, "Top Of The World", as Anthony 'Tony' Dio. He did not sing.

Gary Sinise appeared in the season 1 episode "For Love Or Money" as Howie Dressler, a husband forced to steal to pay for his wife's iron lung. He also directed two episodes, credited as "Gary A. Sinise".

Ving Rhames appeared in the season 1 episode "Abrams For The Defense" as Hector Lincoln, a husband and father accused of assaulting his landlord. This was Rhames's second television appearance.

William Russ was occasionally featured during the opening credits of Season 1's first half, even though his character (an MCU detective) was murdered in the pilot.

Christian Slater played a teenager who discovered a body in the episode "Old Friends, Dead Ends".

Paul Guilfoyle appeared in "Hide and Go Thief" as a crazed robber who gets into a hostage standoff with MCU. His hostage was played by Lorraine Bracco. Bracco's sister Elizabeth played a hostage in the pilot.

Michael Rooker appeared as a uniformed police officer in the pilot's opening.

Lili Taylor played a waitress in Frank Holman's Diner in the episode "Hide and Go Thief".

Pam Grier played Suzanne Terry, an investigative journalist and girlfriend of federal attorney David Abrams, in five episodes spread out over both seasons.

Jazz musician Miles Davis made a cameo in the first-season episode "The War," playing jazz with Stephen Lang.

Jazz musician Dexter Gordon appeared in the second-season episode "Moulin Rouge."

Stanley Tucci played bomber Zack Lowman in "The Battle of Las Vegas".

Lee Ving and Anthony Heald [Dr. Chilton in Silence of the Lambs.] appeared as opposing candidates for leader of a Las Vegas labor union on strike in "The Battle of Las Vegas".

Bruce McGill played film producer Nathan Hill in episode "Love Hurts".

David Hyde Pierce appears in the second-season episode "Mig 21," as NSA Agent Carruthers (billed as David Pierce). That episode also featured George Dzundza, who would have later success on Law & Order.

Season Two episode "Protected Witness" featured both Laura San Giacomo as Theresa Farantino, and Billy Zane as Frankie 'The Duke' Farantino.

Michael J. Pollard played pimp Leon Barski, and William Hickey played Judge Neville Harmon in "The Brothel Wars".

Elias Koteas played a ranch hand in the Season two episode "Roadrunner".

Dennis Haysbert appeared in "Moulin Rogue" and "Seize the Time" as the bookkeeper of a jazz club.

Among others, Eric Bogosian played the Outfit's attorney Dee Morton, Michael Madsen played Outfit associate Johnny Fossi, and Vincent Gallo, Armin Shimerman, and Jim True-Frost were Outfit figures.

David Soul played a doctor who married Mike Torello's ex-wife Julie in the second-season episode "Blast from the Past", which also featured
James Remar. Soul later directed two second-season episodes, "Moulin Rouge" and "Love Hurts".

Michael Jeter played Senator Michael Gaspari in the second-season episode "The Hearing". Jeter later played "Eduard Delacroix" in the movie "The Green Mile" which he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2000.

Steven Weber played a pornographer in Season Two episode 7 "Little Girl Lost".

Amy Morton played Brenda Mahoney, the wife of a murder victim who later finds comfort with David Abrams in the Season One episodes "The Battle of Las Vegas" and "The Survivor".

Fred Savage played Ray Luca's son in Season 1 episode "Crime Pays"

My wife finally caved to subscribing to Netflix and she and I just binge watched all 3 seasons of Stranger Things. I binged on Lost in Space and Space Force (with Steve Carell and John Malkovich) and she's binging Schitt's Creek with Eugene Levy and his son Daniel (who has the same eyebrows) but I can't get into it because I cannot stand Chris Elliot. We tried watching The Ozarks with Jason Bateman but felt it was too dark to watch beyond the pilot.

It got a whole lot darker....

yup
 

Netflix..."Grace and Frankie"...'The Good Liar"..."Laurel Canyon" Laurel Canyon was a Jakob Dylan hosted docu about the people and life in 1967-69 in the music scene in California...loved it!

I've been on an 80's/90's action movies kick lately.

Blacklist. Re-watching and I'm at the end of season 4. I'm also watching Fringe and I'm at the end of season 2 (although I haven't watched in it a couple of weeks). Both great shows.

Just got done with the John Wayne version of The Alamo. For the first time.
What a good movie... I'm sure George Lucas must have been inspired by the scenes
of Santa Anna's army approaching and the accompanying dramatic
music for the similar scenes when the storm troopers would be marching
in...

-Mike

Just finished Season 5 of 'Outlander', which despite from the promos looking like a slightly grittier Mills & Boon, has been essential viewing since it started. Season 6 was already confirmed, but who knows when filming will start? I also recently finished Avenue 5, which though not always brilliant, was very funny at times - and Hugh Laurie is always a treat.

For me, my main concerns are about when the next seasons of shows will air: The Politician Season 2 has recently dropped and Umbrella Academy is back on at the end of July 2020. The rather good The Mandalorian has a release date of October 2020, but when will Vikings Season 6.2, The Expanse Season 5, His Dark Materials Season 2, Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 and Picard Season 2 actually come out? And of course, the most important question is when are we going to find out about what happened to Hopper?

Mostly European stuff on Netflix such as Bordertown (Finnish), the Woods (Polish) and Black Spot (French). I'm also really enjoying Midnight Diner (Japanese). I have to use subtitles as the voice-overs are invariably bad. Rewatching Toast of London.

Yeah. We’re done. I heard that Jason Bateman was trying for more serious roles but my wife has some kind of thing for him. She’s now going back and rewatching Arrested Development. Personally, I liked him in the movie Game Night. I was expecting something along those lines with the Ozarks but then it took a John Grisham turn. Hard pass now.

I really enjoyed the Ozarks. Game Night was a fun movie. I like the Cop guy ... he was in Breaking Bad.

Just finished watch a six-part series on Acorn called "Dead Still" - a period piece about, of all things, corpse (or 'memorial') photography, set in late 19th century Ireland.

It was very well done indeed - it also left some unfinished business at the end, which makes me hope for a second run.

-I'm an American who also likes content from other countries, especially Britain.
I find other cultures fascinating ... not that TV shows really present typical people of a country ... think "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills".
Real indeed! :rolleyes:

Still, I love discovering quirky shows that show a slice of life of places and cultures unfamiliar to me.

Lately I've really enjoyed two Japanese shows which are now streaming on Netflix.

Midnight Diner is excellent ... as GroovyException above mentioned in post #9.
Atelier, not as good but still interesting.

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My wife and I after having just finished watching the all too short Firefly series on Hulu, are now watching The Orville and Timeless. I've got to admit that as an avowed fan of the Star Trek franchise, watching The Orville has been a hoot!

Hey Cat, I only saw 3-4 episodes of the Orville on the plane last year and I was surprised at how well it was done. It's a show I'd like to catch.