I saw Aidy Bryant on TV last week (maybe The View) talking about Shrill, which got me interested. Is it very watch-from-the-hall Steph?

Dh and I have been streaming Merlin on Netflix. Even though Anthony Stewart Head plays Uther Pendragon, I never checked it out during its original TV run (NBC & Syfy, I think).

BTW, ASH's Uther is an utter S.O.B. I think I spent the first couple of episodes waiting for Willow to come in and break whatever spell was making Giles into such an ass.

[ASH's Uther absolutely hates magic, and wants to execute anyone practicing it, so I like to pretend it's Giles after BtVS season 6, but before he hand-waved away Willow's actual magic addiction at the start of season 7.]

The show feels a little kidsy. I don't know if that will change as it goes on, but it's kind of mindless fun, and right now seems to be made up of related but still largely stand-alone episodes.

Did anyone watch this either when it aired (2008-2012 on BBC1) or since? What did you think?

Ah, Merlin.

I think Uther gets more complicated as the show goes on, though it always balanced moments of genuine feeling and complexity with stupid jokes and bad makeup.

It is generally mindless fun, though obviously thing get less standalone as you get closer to the end.

I saw Aidy Bryant on TV last week (maybe The View) talking about Shrill, which got me interested. Is it very watch-from-the-hall Steph?

I don't think so, and I'm pretty attuned to cringeworthy stuff. I think it's really really good.

Sometimes the Merlin sets seem stolen from the high school drama department, but I'm just enjoying a show that doesn't matter, and I kind of like watching it when the world isn't, so I don't feel like we've fallen behind (except for how we're 11 years behind).

We tend to fall asleep during it, and have watched some out of order, because our older son was watching it and got a little ahead. He moved out yesterday though (which I just mention, in case anyone wants to join me in feeling old), so we're on our own schedule now.

I don't think so, and I'm pretty attuned to cringeworthy stuff. I think it's really really good.

When I heard Bryant talk about it, it didn't seem it would be, but I'd covered enough of it before the premiere that I was worried about Annie's boss being negative about her appearance and generally about comments about her weight.

I'd covered enough of it before the premiere that I was worried about

I mean, that part is pretty shitty, but it's so fucking real. What I love about it is seeing her deal with the shit that happens in my life all the time, and still kick ass at life and be happy despite the fatphobic bullshit.

I'm working my way through The Dragon Prince, although the all-too-contemporary dialog keeps throwing me out of my pleasant enjoyment. At least they're not making snarky jokes about late 20th century culture, but still.

At least they're not making snarky jokes about late 20th century culture

They do that every once and a while: [link] [link]

I loved Shrill, and i found Friends too watch from the hall. I am expecting the things that happened ibecause I followed Lindy West,

Yeah, I read Shrill a couple of years ago, plus it's no secret what a fatphobic shithead Dan Savage is, so I expect Annie's boss (based on Dan Savage) to be horrible.

I think the reason that it is not cringeworthy is that there isn't really any humor in humiliation.