YOU WILL THANK ME LATER....
whoa whoa stop the clock I know i watched 2 seasons on The Sundance channel ,i had no idea there was a season 3 and 4
TV SHOWS / SERIES - Seen any good ones lately? Please feel free to post reviews / feedback / trailers / articles / TV news / all that shit ...
whoa whoa stop the clock I know i watched 2 seasons on The Sundance channel ,i had no idea there was a season 3 and 4
On season 2 now
What Netflix's biggest reveal tells us about what works and what doesn't
Culture
The streaming giant has unveiled the most watched shows and films of the past year, suggesting what its future might look like
Benjamin Lee
@benfraserlee
Tue 22 Oct 2019 18.57 BSTLast modified on Tue 22 Oct 2019 20.15 BST
Stranger Things, Murder Mystery, Bird Box and Unbelievable. Photograph: Courtesy Netflix
One of the many disruptive qualities of so-called industry disruptor Netflix has been a lack of transparency over viewing figures. Unlike their competitors (the main networks and cable channels), they have never been held to the same standard, never judged by ratings, choosing to keep themselves separate, much to the rest of the industry’s frustration. But over time, a shift has taken place.
Netflix's growth slows as it braces for influx of competition
Slowly but surely, the streaming goliath has started to share viewing data, usually as a brag and only when it shows them in a positive light, but with each shred of information we have started to see the bigger picture. Just last week, we were handed their most revealing dump to date, the 10 most popular original films and shows over the last 12 months, complete with figures for each. While we’re still starved of the bottom end of the list, and disappointingly yet tellingly, any box office data for their theatrical releases, we can start to see what is and isn’t working for the platform.
1 The movie star endures
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-2
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Ben Affleck in Triple Frontier. Photograph: Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix
Advertisement
If one were to examine the top 10 theatrically released films over the last year, the upper end, if not the entire list, would be dominated by franchises, sequels and ones that don’t necessarily rely on the names involved. But on Netflix, an underdeveloped alternative to the multiplex, the biggest films more closely resemble the box office hits of the late 80s and early 90s when star appeal was prioritised over spectacle, a period that saw Rain Man, Fatal Attraction, Ghost and Three Men and a Baby win big.
The top three most-watched Netflix originals of the last 12 months are Bird Box (80 million viewers), Murder Mystery (73 million) and Triple Frontier (52 million), all broad, crowd-pleasing films sold almost exclusively on stars Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler and Ben Affleck, all of whom are actors who broke out in the 90s boasting fanbases that have mostly stayed loyal ever since. The mixture of recognisable casts, substantial budgets and experienced directors meant that they all looked like actual theatrical releases, too, making their drops feel like mini-events to viewers who might not have been anticipating their release.
Inevitably, and ironically, the films that seemed to stand against the ongoing production line of predictable sequels being churned out by the wider industry are all now being envisioned as franchise-starters by those behind them. Murder Mystery 2 has been given the official green light, a follow-up to the Bird Box novel was announced earlier this year, leading many to speculate about an adaptation, while Triple Frontier director JC Chandor has expressed muted interest in a quadruple. Next year also sees sequels to the previous year’s hits The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
2 Sometimes they (don’t) come back
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-3
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The cast of The Umbrella Academy. Photograph: Christos Kalohoridis/Courtesy of Netflix
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By far, the platform’s biggest TV drop of the year is Stranger Things 3 (64 million viewers), an inevitable result given the frenzy surrounding the series since it began in 2016, but while it’s easy to equate its success to that of a big-screen sequel, especially given both its genre and how it’s been marketed, what’s most interesting is that it’s one of only two shows on the list that isn’t a first season. There’s no sign of Netflix staples like Orange is the New Black, Glow, Bojack Horseman, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, House of Cards, Black Mirror, The Crown, 13 Reasons Why and Mindhunter, and instead viewers have flocked to new shows like The Umbrella Academy (45 million viewers), You (40 million) and Sex Education (32 million), all also notably aimed at a younger audience.
It’s a sign that either original shows tend to lose viewers with each season or that Netflix has been algorithmically tweaking its output to fall more closely in line with its most impassioned younger viewers. With all new shows on the list coming back for a second season, it will be interesting to see what next year’s results highlight.
3 A tough watch is an easy binge
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-4
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Niecy Nash and Jharrel Jerome in When They See Us. Photograph: Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix
Importantly, the lists provided don’t include content acquired by Netflix from elsewhere which would inevitably mean that much-loved sitcoms like Friends and The Office would make an appearance. The success of both (Netflix extended the Friends deal for one final year for $100m before it was snapped up by HBO Max starting 2020) led many to believe that the practice of bingeing was mostly employed by those seeking lighter, snappier fare. But the appearance of two tough, issues-led dramas on Netflix’s TV list suggest that this might not always be the case.
Advertisement
In a short amount of time, Unbelievable (32 million viewers) and When They See Us (25 million) have shown there’s a big audience for fact-based shows dealing with difficult, timely topics. Unbelievable, a combination of a dogged crime procedural and a docudrama, focused on rape and how it can be mishandled by authorities while When They See Us, Ava DuVernay’s Emmy-winning Central Park Five miniseries, dealt with race and how it too often leads to false imprisonment, and both were eagerly consumed by viewers and critics. Expect a major awards push for both in time for the Golden Globes as well as further green lights for equally tough-minded dramas.
4 Dead genres come back to life
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-5
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Ali Wong in Always Be My Maybe. Photograph: Ed Araquel/Netflix
Genres that have long been cast aside by Hollywood have been carefully and cleverly resuscitated by Netflix for a while now with notable successes, such as 2018’s “Summer of Love” which saw a string of smash-hit romcoms, including Set It Up, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Kissing Booth (all of which Netflix has been happy to brag about). In comparison, before Crazy Rich Asians last year, the industry hadn’t seen a $100m romcom hit since 2011’s Just Go With It.
Sign up to the Media Briefing: news for the news-makers
Read more
The latest top 10 is filled with similar examples with teen movie/romcom crossovers The Perfect Date (48 million viewers) and Tall Girl (41 million), psycho-thriller Secret Obsession (40 million), romcom Always Be My Maybe(32 million) and chick flick Otherhood (29 million) all scoring well. Apart from Otherhood, the films mentioned aren’t really star-led but their appeal is more about a tried-and-tested-and-forgotten-about formula being brought back to life. The success of “cheerfully trashy” thriller Secret Obsession, from longtime Hallmark and Lifetime channel director Peter Sullivan, is perhaps the most concerning given its rote plot and flat TV movie direction. It’s a cheap quickie that would usually be chucked on to cable but its large viewership on Netflix will lead to more of the same, a grubby inevitability and looking ahead at their schedule, there are similarly low-rent options in the coming months.
5 Big directors don’t lead to big audiences
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-6
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Yalitza Aparicio and Marco Graf in Roma. Photograph: Carlos Somonte/PR
Advertisement
The list of most-watched films, from Bird Box down to Fyre (20 million viewers) sees a gap of 60 million viewers, meaning that while some films hit big, there’s a great many that lag far, far behind. This doesn’t make them flops per se but it does mean that genuine phenomena are hard to find. The list also shows that while Netflix has put a great deal of funding into both their awards push and their splashy partnerships with respected auteurs, audiences are less invested in the outcome than they are.
The most conspicuous absence is Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, the platform’s most critically acclaimed and awarded film to date. Netflix might have been proud to flaunt its reviews, nominations and eventual wins but they have yet to release any solid data about either its streaming viewership or its limited run at the box office. There’s also no love for the Coen brothers and their anthology western The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Dan Gilroy’s Sundance-premiering art world horror Velvet Buzzsaw, the long-awaited Orson Welles drama The Other Side of the Wind, Paul Greengrass’s grim docudrama 22 July or Steven Soderbergh’s High Flying Bird. Of course, these films would have been unlikely to make the top 10 most-watched films at the cinema, too, but the film list offers a picture of a far less demanding viewer than the TV list and show’s a great discrepancy in the films that Netflix chooses to promote over what viewers choose to watch.
Given the uptick in major directors who have been lured to the platform, this might not be the case in the next 12 months. Martin Scorsese’s extravagant crime saga The Irishman will surely be a rare critical and commercial crossover title for them, although its mammoth 210-minute runtime might prove a problem (Netflix counts more than 70% of a movie or episode as a watch). But for those who can’t make it through, there’s a film with Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe falling in love at Christmas while caring for elephants in Zambia. So, as appears to be the Netflix mantra, there really is something for everyone.
www.theguardian.com
Culture
The streaming giant has unveiled the most watched shows and films of the past year, suggesting what its future might look like
Benjamin Lee
@benfraserlee
Tue 22 Oct 2019 18.57 BSTLast modified on Tue 22 Oct 2019 20.15 BST
Stranger Things, Murder Mystery, Bird Box and Unbelievable. Photograph: Courtesy Netflix
One of the many disruptive qualities of so-called industry disruptor Netflix has been a lack of transparency over viewing figures. Unlike their competitors (the main networks and cable channels), they have never been held to the same standard, never judged by ratings, choosing to keep themselves separate, much to the rest of the industry’s frustration. But over time, a shift has taken place.
Netflix's growth slows as it braces for influx of competition
Slowly but surely, the streaming goliath has started to share viewing data, usually as a brag and only when it shows them in a positive light, but with each shred of information we have started to see the bigger picture. Just last week, we were handed their most revealing dump to date, the 10 most popular original films and shows over the last 12 months, complete with figures for each. While we’re still starved of the bottom end of the list, and disappointingly yet tellingly, any box office data for their theatrical releases, we can start to see what is and isn’t working for the platform.
1 The movie star endures
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-2
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Ben Affleck in Triple Frontier. Photograph: Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix
Advertisement
If one were to examine the top 10 theatrically released films over the last year, the upper end, if not the entire list, would be dominated by franchises, sequels and ones that don’t necessarily rely on the names involved. But on Netflix, an underdeveloped alternative to the multiplex, the biggest films more closely resemble the box office hits of the late 80s and early 90s when star appeal was prioritised over spectacle, a period that saw Rain Man, Fatal Attraction, Ghost and Three Men and a Baby win big.
The top three most-watched Netflix originals of the last 12 months are Bird Box (80 million viewers), Murder Mystery (73 million) and Triple Frontier (52 million), all broad, crowd-pleasing films sold almost exclusively on stars Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler and Ben Affleck, all of whom are actors who broke out in the 90s boasting fanbases that have mostly stayed loyal ever since. The mixture of recognisable casts, substantial budgets and experienced directors meant that they all looked like actual theatrical releases, too, making their drops feel like mini-events to viewers who might not have been anticipating their release.
Inevitably, and ironically, the films that seemed to stand against the ongoing production line of predictable sequels being churned out by the wider industry are all now being envisioned as franchise-starters by those behind them. Murder Mystery 2 has been given the official green light, a follow-up to the Bird Box novel was announced earlier this year, leading many to speculate about an adaptation, while Triple Frontier director JC Chandor has expressed muted interest in a quadruple. Next year also sees sequels to the previous year’s hits The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
2 Sometimes they (don’t) come back
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-3
FacebookTwitterPinterest
The cast of The Umbrella Academy. Photograph: Christos Kalohoridis/Courtesy of Netflix
Advertisement
By far, the platform’s biggest TV drop of the year is Stranger Things 3 (64 million viewers), an inevitable result given the frenzy surrounding the series since it began in 2016, but while it’s easy to equate its success to that of a big-screen sequel, especially given both its genre and how it’s been marketed, what’s most interesting is that it’s one of only two shows on the list that isn’t a first season. There’s no sign of Netflix staples like Orange is the New Black, Glow, Bojack Horseman, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, House of Cards, Black Mirror, The Crown, 13 Reasons Why and Mindhunter, and instead viewers have flocked to new shows like The Umbrella Academy (45 million viewers), You (40 million) and Sex Education (32 million), all also notably aimed at a younger audience.
It’s a sign that either original shows tend to lose viewers with each season or that Netflix has been algorithmically tweaking its output to fall more closely in line with its most impassioned younger viewers. With all new shows on the list coming back for a second season, it will be interesting to see what next year’s results highlight.
3 A tough watch is an easy binge
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-4
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Niecy Nash and Jharrel Jerome in When They See Us. Photograph: Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix
Importantly, the lists provided don’t include content acquired by Netflix from elsewhere which would inevitably mean that much-loved sitcoms like Friends and The Office would make an appearance. The success of both (Netflix extended the Friends deal for one final year for $100m before it was snapped up by HBO Max starting 2020) led many to believe that the practice of bingeing was mostly employed by those seeking lighter, snappier fare. But the appearance of two tough, issues-led dramas on Netflix’s TV list suggest that this might not always be the case.
Advertisement
In a short amount of time, Unbelievable (32 million viewers) and When They See Us (25 million) have shown there’s a big audience for fact-based shows dealing with difficult, timely topics. Unbelievable, a combination of a dogged crime procedural and a docudrama, focused on rape and how it can be mishandled by authorities while When They See Us, Ava DuVernay’s Emmy-winning Central Park Five miniseries, dealt with race and how it too often leads to false imprisonment, and both were eagerly consumed by viewers and critics. Expect a major awards push for both in time for the Golden Globes as well as further green lights for equally tough-minded dramas.
4 Dead genres come back to life
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-5
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Ali Wong in Always Be My Maybe. Photograph: Ed Araquel/Netflix
Genres that have long been cast aside by Hollywood have been carefully and cleverly resuscitated by Netflix for a while now with notable successes, such as 2018’s “Summer of Love” which saw a string of smash-hit romcoms, including Set It Up, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Kissing Booth (all of which Netflix has been happy to brag about). In comparison, before Crazy Rich Asians last year, the industry hadn’t seen a $100m romcom hit since 2011’s Just Go With It.
Sign up to the Media Briefing: news for the news-makers
Read more
The latest top 10 is filled with similar examples with teen movie/romcom crossovers The Perfect Date (48 million viewers) and Tall Girl (41 million), psycho-thriller Secret Obsession (40 million), romcom Always Be My Maybe(32 million) and chick flick Otherhood (29 million) all scoring well. Apart from Otherhood, the films mentioned aren’t really star-led but their appeal is more about a tried-and-tested-and-forgotten-about formula being brought back to life. The success of “cheerfully trashy” thriller Secret Obsession, from longtime Hallmark and Lifetime channel director Peter Sullivan, is perhaps the most concerning given its rote plot and flat TV movie direction. It’s a cheap quickie that would usually be chucked on to cable but its large viewership on Netflix will lead to more of the same, a grubby inevitability and looking ahead at their schedule, there are similarly low-rent options in the coming months.
5 Big directors don’t lead to big audiences
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/22/netflix-most-watched-tv-shows-films-figures#img-6
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Yalitza Aparicio and Marco Graf in Roma. Photograph: Carlos Somonte/PR
Advertisement
The list of most-watched films, from Bird Box down to Fyre (20 million viewers) sees a gap of 60 million viewers, meaning that while some films hit big, there’s a great many that lag far, far behind. This doesn’t make them flops per se but it does mean that genuine phenomena are hard to find. The list also shows that while Netflix has put a great deal of funding into both their awards push and their splashy partnerships with respected auteurs, audiences are less invested in the outcome than they are.
The most conspicuous absence is Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, the platform’s most critically acclaimed and awarded film to date. Netflix might have been proud to flaunt its reviews, nominations and eventual wins but they have yet to release any solid data about either its streaming viewership or its limited run at the box office. There’s also no love for the Coen brothers and their anthology western The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Dan Gilroy’s Sundance-premiering art world horror Velvet Buzzsaw, the long-awaited Orson Welles drama The Other Side of the Wind, Paul Greengrass’s grim docudrama 22 July or Steven Soderbergh’s High Flying Bird. Of course, these films would have been unlikely to make the top 10 most-watched films at the cinema, too, but the film list offers a picture of a far less demanding viewer than the TV list and show’s a great discrepancy in the films that Netflix chooses to promote over what viewers choose to watch.
Given the uptick in major directors who have been lured to the platform, this might not be the case in the next 12 months. Martin Scorsese’s extravagant crime saga The Irishman will surely be a rare critical and commercial crossover title for them, although its mammoth 210-minute runtime might prove a problem (Netflix counts more than 70% of a movie or episode as a watch). But for those who can’t make it through, there’s a film with Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe falling in love at Christmas while caring for elephants in Zambia. So, as appears to be the Netflix mantra, there really is something for everyone.
What Netflix's biggest reveal tells us about what works and what doesn't
The streaming giant has unveiled the most watched shows and films of the past year, suggesting what its future might look like
PRODIGAL SON
I'm into this. They established a good back story for the characters. There are shades of the late , great and insane The Following TV show mixed in and I like the tongue in cheek vibe.
This show is decent, but wholly unoriginal. It's basically a rip-off of Hannibal (Silence of the Lambs), where a creepy, sophisticated serial killer guides a police profiler to catch other killers. Then they threw in a "will they/won't they" dynamic between the profiler and lady detective, which is as old as Moonlighting.
Another thing I'm noticing is that a lot of networks are really pushing the black woman/white man relationship angle this season. From that Bob Heart Abiola bullshit to Mixed-ish, hell even Charmed linked up the one black chick with a white guy seemingly out the blue when she had a black boyfriend last year.
....
Halloween TV 2019: Scary Streaming and Television Series, Episodes, Specials, Movies, and Marathons
Find out which spooky TV will premiere through Halloween.
I noticed it in the last 2 episodes and then they are going to create some kind of love triangle,with the blonde that met up with his mother....JUST WATCH !!
,,,,
Anyone watching The Purge new season on USA..? Interesting that this season is about what happens the next day
Haven't had a chance to see the series. Seems like a good idea to have it the following day (and not jump too far ahead).
Evil has been crazy lately. The past 2 episodes with the kids and the Virtual Reality. This show does not have high Nielson ratings but it does not disappoint. Its not your Criminal Minds were everything is solved by the end of the show only episode 5 and they have been walking out with their head down like what did we miss. If done right it can be long lasting, prob not like Supernatural cause they use some comedy to keep you in. Evil is trying to freak you out.
'Supernatural' Star Jared Padalecki Arrested at His Go-To Austin Club
Sam Winchester wasn't seeing ghosts on Saturday ... just cops.
www.tmz.com
Supernatural actor Jared Padalecki accused of hitting two people
Eyewitnesses told TMZ that the San Antonio native hit a Stereotype bartender and manager - both in the face - and headlocked a friend who tried to intervene outside.
'Supernatural' Star Jared Padalecki Arrested at His Go-To Austin Club
Sam Winchester wasn't seeing ghosts on Saturday ... just cops.
Supernatural actor Jared Padalecki accused of hitting two people
Eyewitnesses told TMZ that the San Antonio native hit a Stereotype bartender and manager - both in the face - and headlocked a friend who tried to intervene outside.www.dailymail.co.uk
Cops bring him down to the station so everyone can get pics and autographs, nothing to see here. But who releases the mugshots is that not police property.
I'm not sure how much the weasel Harvey Levin and his crew pay. They've got that money backing them.
TMZ is a tabloid news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros.,[4] until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. The name TMZ stands for thirty-mile zone, the historic "studio zone" within a 30-mile (50 km) radius centered at the intersection of West Beverly Boulevard and North La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.
It's either calling the person a cab or embarassing them and potentially ruining their life with a police record
A dope ass sleeper!
On season 2 now
'Supernatural' Star Jared Padalecki Arrested at His Go-To Austin Club
Sam Winchester wasn't seeing ghosts on Saturday ... just cops.
Supernatural actor Jared Padalecki accused of hitting two people
Eyewitnesses told TMZ that the San Antonio native hit a Stereotype bartender and manager - both in the face - and headlocked a friend who tried to intervene outside.
Must be getting too far into his research for his role in the reboot of Walker:Texas Ranger that's in the works(w/ Chuck Norris as exec producer)
That's interesting. Didn't hear about this project. The original series ran from 1993 - 2001
Walker, Texas Ranger - Wikipedia
been out of action
Will watch Treadstone on the plane.
Downloaded entire 2nd season
Otherwise will also continue with others
Will watch Treadstone on the plane.
Downloaded entire 2nd season
Otherwise will also continue with others
Agreed. Trying to catch up on some stuff and clear the DVR of late. Also, got some time off in late-Nov' into Dec'. Gonna have additional time to see things once the weather worsens, and away on vacation.
Anyone watch/watching the 2nd season of this show? The 1st season was pretty good. Episodes are easy to get through. If I recall correctly, they're around 20 - 30 mins each. Haven't checked the 2nd season yet.
ok
lots to catch up on
documentaries of late etc
but no good shows out there ....kinda dry tbh
lots to catch up on
documentaries of late etc
but no good shows out there ....kinda dry tbh
Good buzz for The Mandalorian so far -
The Mandalorian: Season 1 - TV Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets
The Mandalorian: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes
After the fall of the Galactic Empire, a lone gunfighter makes his way through the outer reaches of the lawless galaxy.
DOCUMENTARY:
shadow commander iran's military mastermind
Who is General Qassem Suleimani?
General Suleimani is one of the most powerful players in Middle East politics.
As leader of the Qods Force of the Revolutionary Guard Corps for more than two decades, the 62-year-old is known as expert at pulling military strings behind the scenes - lending him the nickname the West has given him, The Shadow Commander.
Born in 1957, Soleimani grew up in an impoverished family in the Kerman Provice of rural Iran.
He came of age during the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and advanced rapidly in his career.
When Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in 1980 he earned a reputation for his bravery as leader of a military company that he personally assembled and trained.
Still in his 20s, he became the commander of the 41st Sarallah Division and participated in most major operations.
Since the Iran–Iraq War of the 1980s he has gone on to be active in many conflicts in the rest of the region, especially Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
After the US-led coalition invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, he set himself the mammoth task of ensure that Iraq could never destabilise Iran again.
He smuggled thousands of sophisticated bombs into the country arming the Shia militias who killed hundreds of British and American troops.
He has helped bolster the Syrian government, a key Iranian ally, throughout the Syrian Civil War and is known to be one of the staunchest supporters of Bashar al-Assad.
In the later half of 2012, Soleimani assumed personal control of the Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war.
He also worked with the Iraqi forces in Amerli to push back militants from ISIS.
Soleimani played an integral role in the organisation and planning of the crucial operation to retake the city of Tikrit in Iraq from the caliphate.
Praised in Iran as a hero, in the west he has a very different reputation, with US General David Petraeus describing him as "diabolically evil".
In March 2007, Soleimani was included on a list of Iranian individuals targeted with sanctions in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747.
In the US he is listed as a known terrorist, which forbids US citizens from doing business with him.
He has four children: two sons and two daughters.
What is the film about?
The film explores the Iranian commander and how he has dominated the struggle for power across the Middle East.
It seeks to understand the General's influence and how he has stepped out of the shadows, and into the spotlight.
The new BBC2 documentary aired on March 14 at 9pm and is available on iPlayer.
shadow commander iran's military mastermind
Who is General Qassem Suleimani?
General Suleimani is one of the most powerful players in Middle East politics.
As leader of the Qods Force of the Revolutionary Guard Corps for more than two decades, the 62-year-old is known as expert at pulling military strings behind the scenes - lending him the nickname the West has given him, The Shadow Commander.
Born in 1957, Soleimani grew up in an impoverished family in the Kerman Provice of rural Iran.
He came of age during the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and advanced rapidly in his career.
When Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in 1980 he earned a reputation for his bravery as leader of a military company that he personally assembled and trained.
Still in his 20s, he became the commander of the 41st Sarallah Division and participated in most major operations.
Since the Iran–Iraq War of the 1980s he has gone on to be active in many conflicts in the rest of the region, especially Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
After the US-led coalition invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, he set himself the mammoth task of ensure that Iraq could never destabilise Iran again.
He smuggled thousands of sophisticated bombs into the country arming the Shia militias who killed hundreds of British and American troops.
He has helped bolster the Syrian government, a key Iranian ally, throughout the Syrian Civil War and is known to be one of the staunchest supporters of Bashar al-Assad.
In the later half of 2012, Soleimani assumed personal control of the Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war.
He also worked with the Iraqi forces in Amerli to push back militants from ISIS.
Soleimani played an integral role in the organisation and planning of the crucial operation to retake the city of Tikrit in Iraq from the caliphate.
Praised in Iran as a hero, in the west he has a very different reputation, with US General David Petraeus describing him as "diabolically evil".
In March 2007, Soleimani was included on a list of Iranian individuals targeted with sanctions in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747.
In the US he is listed as a known terrorist, which forbids US citizens from doing business with him.
He has four children: two sons and two daughters.
What is the film about?
The film explores the Iranian commander and how he has dominated the struggle for power across the Middle East.
It seeks to understand the General's influence and how he has stepped out of the shadows, and into the spotlight.
The new BBC2 documentary aired on March 14 at 9pm and is available on iPlayer.
Last edited:
Thanks for the intel on the doc'.
Since I'm old enough to remember the events of 1989, this was nostalgic to watch
THE FALL OF THE Berlin Wall-BBC
THE FALL OF THE Berlin Wall-BBC
Can someone bring this thread here:
A few good Netflix movies you may not have seen
Thanks for the reminder. I saw this trailer a while back and meant to check out this movie months ago. It slipped my mind some how but I'm watching it right now. Very good movie. Somewhat reminds me of Robin Williams' Bicentennial Man. :yes:
www.bgol.us