The Last Kingdom (Netflix)

The Last Kingdom is a British historical fiction television series based on Bernard Cornwell's "The Saxon Stories" series of novels. It premiered in 2015 on BBC America, BBC Two and later in 2018 on Netflix. About the plot we could say that in the year 866, the Great Heathen Army's is a fact and they arrival in Britain. The relationship between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons could be interesting. Following establishment of Danish rule in Jórvic and East Anglia, the show largely focuses on the resistance of the Kingdom of Wessex to ongoing Viking incursions to Southern England.

The story covers about 40-45 years by the end of season 4. Season 1 covers the years 866-878, season 2 from 878 o 886, season 3 from 893 to 900, and season 4 takes place about 901 to 912. The protagonist (named osbert in childhood) is re-baptised as Uhtred after his elder brother Uhtred is killed by the Danes; his father, along with other Saxon noblemen of Northumbria, are killed in battle against the Danes. Only his uncle and step-mother survive. Uhtred a Saxon girl named Brida are taken as slaves by Earl Ragnar to his home in Danish Northumbria. 

Time passes, and Ragnar's daughter Thyra is about to be married, but fellow Danes attack the night before the wedding and set fire to the hall in which the family is sleeping. Ragnar is burned alive, and Thyra taken as a slave. Only Uhtred and Brida escape as they have spent the night in the woods tending a charcoal kiln. The attackers are led by Kjartan, a disgruntled Viking who had been banished by Ragnar from his lands years earlier for a offence committed by Kjartan's son Sven. Uhtred vows to avenge Ragnar's death, while simultaneously hoping to reclaim Bebbanburg for himself.

Uhtred is forced to choose between the kingdom of his ancestors and the people who have raised him, and his loyalties are constantly tested. The first series roughly covers the events of Cornwell's novels "The Last Kingdom" and "The Pale Horseman", although they are condensed for the screen. The second series covers the happenings of Cornwell's novels "The Lords of the North" and "Sword Song". Series 3 is based on "The Burning Land" and "Death of Kings", but with considerable plot changes. The third series' ten episodes were produced solely by Netflix.

One reviewer indicated that this had a positive effect. Much of the series was written by Stephen Butchard, and filming was completed in Hungary. These episodes cover the decline in King Alfred's health, according to one report, while he tries to ensure that his fiercely-held vision of a Christian, Saxon Wessex as part of a stable English nation will survive him as his legacy...the Uhtred-Alfred relationship is at the core of the story. All ten episodes of series 4 appeared on Netflix on 26 April 2020. As in series 3, there are significant plot differences to the books.

About cast: 

- Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred.

- David Dawson as King Alfred.

- Emily Cox as Brida.

- Tobias Santelmann as Ragnar the Younger.

- Adrian Bower as Leofric.

- Thomas W. Gabrielsson as Guthrum.

- Simon Kunz as Odda the Elder.

- Harry McEntire as Aethelwold.

- Rune Temte as Ubba.

- Joseph Millson as Aelfric.

- Brian Vernel as Odda the Younger.

- Amy Wren as Mildrith.

- Charlie Murphy as Iseult.

- Ian Hart as Father Beocca.

- Eliza Butterworth as Aelswith.

- Thure Lindhardt as Guthred.

- Eva Birthistle as Hild.

- Gerard Kearns as Halig.

- David Schofield as Abbot Eadred.

- Peri Baumeister as Gisela.

- Peter McDonald as Brother Trew. 

- Mark Rowley and Finan.

- Alexandre Willaume as Kjartan.

- Julia Bache-Wiig as Thira.

The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)

 

The Qeen's Gambit is an American coming-of-age period drama streaming television miniseries based on Walter Tevis's 1983 novel of the same name, created for Netflix by Scott Frank and Allan Scott, and written and directed by the former. Beginning mid-1950s and proceeding into the 1960s, the story is about an orphaned chess prodigy on her rise to becoming the world's  greatest chess player while struggling with emotional problems and drug and alcohol dependency.

The Queen's Gambit was released on October 23, 2020. After four weeks of viewing it became Netflix's most-watched scripted miniseries. It has received critical acclaim for Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as Beth Harmon as well as for the cinematography and production values. It has also received a positive response from the chess community and is credited with spurring a resurgence of public interest in the game. 

The Queen's Gambit follows the life of an orphan chess prodigy, Beth Harmon, during her quest to become the world's greatest chess player while struggling with emotional problems and drug and alcohol dependency. The series' title refers to a chess opening of the same name. The story begins in the mid-1950s and proceeds into the 1960. Story begins in Lexington, Kentucky, where a nine-year-old Beth, having lost her mother in a car crash, is taken to an orphanage where she is taught chess by the building's custodian, Mr. Shaibel.

As was common during the 1950s, the orphanage dispenses daily tranquilizer pills to the girls, which turns into an addiction for Beth. She quickly becomes a strong chess player due to her visualization skills, which are enhanced by the tranquilizers. A few years later, Beth is adopted by Alma Wheatley and her husband from Lexington. As she adjusts to her new home, Beth enters a chess tournament and wins despite having ni prior experience in chess.

She develops friendships with several people, including former Kentucky state champion Harry Beltik; gifted but arrogant chess prodigy Benny Watts and journalist, photographer and fellow player D.L. Townes. As Beth continues to win games and reaps the financial benefits of ther success, she becomes more dependent on alcohol and other drugs. About the cast and characters: 

Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon.

Bill Camp as Mr. Shaibel.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Benny Watts.

 Marcin Dorocinski as Vasily Borgov.

Sherlock

Sherlock is a British crime drama television series based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. 13 episodes have been produced, with four three-part series airing from 2010 to 2017, and a special episode that aired on 1 January 2016. The series is set in the present day, while the one-off special features a Victorian period fantasy resembling the original Holmes stories.

Sherlock is produced by the Britthis network BBC, along with Hartswood Films, with Moffat, Gatiss, Sue Vertue and Rebecca Eaton serving as executive producers. The series is supported by the American station WGBH-TV Boston for its Masterpiece anthology series on PBS, where it also airs in the United States. The series is primarily filmed in Cardiff, Wales, with North Gower Street in London used for exterior shots of Holmes and Watson's 221B Baker Street residence.

Sherlock has been praised for the quality of its writing, acting, and direction. It has been nominated for numerous awards including Emmys, BAFTAs and a Golden Globe, winning several awards across a variety of categories. The show won in three categories at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Cumberbatch, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Freeman and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special for Moffat.

Two years later, it won Outstanding Television Movie. In addition, the show was also honoured with a Peabody Award in 2011. The third series became the UK's most watched drama series since 2001. Sherlock has been sold to 180 territories. All of the series have been released on DVD and Blu-ray, alongside tie-in editions of selected original Conan Doyle stories and an original soundtrack composed by David Arnold and Michael Price. In January 2014, the show launched its official mobile app called Sherlock: The Network.

In January 2014, Moffat stated that a fifth series had peen plotted by himself and Gatiss; however, by the release of the fourth series in January 2017, they had not yet decided whether to produce it. Cumberbath and Moffat in particular have expressed interest in continuing at some point in the future, but there are no immediate plans. As to the future of the series, Gatiss stated that due to the conflicting schedules of Cumberbatch and Freeman, a potential fifth season is still up in the air.

Outlander

Outlander is a drama television series based upon author Diana Gabaldon's historical time travel book series of the same name. Developed by Ronald D. Moore and produced by Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures for Starz, the show premiered on August 9, 2014. It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married World War II nurse who in 1945 finds herself transported back to 1743 Scotland, where she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.

The second season of 13 episodes, based on Dragonfly in Amber, premiered on April 9, 2016. On June 1, Starz renewed the series for a third and fourth season, which adapt the third and fourth Outlander novels, Voyager and Drums of Autumn. The 13-episode third season premiered on September 10, 2017. The 13-episode fourth season premiered on November 4, 2018, and Starz has renewed the series for a fifth and sixth season.

NETFLIX

Netflix, Inc. is an American media-services provider headquartered in Los Gatos, California, founded in 1997 by Reed Hasting and Marc Randolph in Sotts Valley, California. The company's primary business is its subscription-based streaming OTT service which  offers on line streaming of a library of films and television programs, including those produced in-house.

As of January 2019, Netflix had over 139 million paid subscriptions worldwide, including 58,49 million in the United States, and over 148 million subscriptions total including free trials. It is available almost worldwide except in mainland China, Syria, North Korea, Iran, and Crimea. 

The company also has offices in the Netherlands, Brazil, India, Japan, and South Korea. Netflix is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Netflix's initial business model included DVD sales and rental by mail, but Hastings jettisoned the sales about a year after the company's founding to focus on the DVD rental business.

Netflix expanded its business in 2007 with the introduction of streaming media while retaining the DVD and Blu-ray rental service. The company expanded internationally in 2010 with streaming available in Canada, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean. Netflix entered the content-production industry in 2012, debuting its first series Lilyhammer.

Netflix has greatly expanded the production and distribution of both film and television series since 2012, and offers a variety of "Netflix Original" content through its online library.  January 2016, Netflix services operated in more than 190 countries. Netflix released an estimated 126 original series and films in 2016, more than any other network or cable channel.

HBO

Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium cable and satellite television network that is owned by the namesake unit Home Box Office, Inc., a division of AT&T's Warner Media. The program which featured on the network consists primarily of theatrically released motion pictures and original television shows, along with made-for-cable movies, documentaries and occasional comedy and concert specials. 

HBO is the oldest and longest continuously operating pay television service (basic or premium) in the United States, having been in operation since November 8, 1972. In 2016, HBO had an adjusted operating income of US$1.93 billion, compared to the US$1.88 billion it accrued in 2015. HBO has 130 million subscribers worldwide as of 2016. The network provides seven 24-hour multiplex channels including HBO Comedy, HBO Latino, HBO Signature, and HBO Family.

It launched the streaming service HBO now in April 2015 and has over 2 million subscribers in the US as of February 2017. HBO subscribers generally pay for an extra tier of service that includes other cable and satellite-exclusive channels even before paying for the channel itself (though HBO often prices all of its channels together in a single package). However, a law imposed by the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) requires that cable providers allow subscribers to get just "limited" basic cable (a base programming tier that includes local, and in some areas, out-of-market broadcast stations and public, educational, and government access channels) and premium services such as HBO, without subscribing to expanded service.

Comcast is the only major provider to have purposefully offered the network in such a manner utilizing this law, as it offered a bundled cable/Internet package that included limited basic service and HBO from October 2013 to July 2014, or January of the latter year in some markets. Cable providers can require the use of a converter box - usually digital - in order to receive HBO.

Television advertisement

A commercial advertisement on television (usually abbreviated to TV commercial, ad, ad-film, and known in UK as advert, or TV advert) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization, which conveys a message, typically to market a product or service.

Advertising revenue provides a significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks. The vast majority of television advertisements today consist of brief advertising spots, ranging in length from a few seconds to several minutes (as well as program.length infomercials). 

Advertisements of this sort have been used to promote a wide variety of goods, services and ideas since the dawn of television. The effects of television advertising upon the viewing public (and the effects of mass media in general) have been the subject of philosophical discourse by such luminaries as Marshall Mcluhan. The viewership of television programming, as measured by companies such as Nielsen Media Research, is often used as a metric for television advertisement placement, and consequently, for the rates charged to advertisers to air within a given network, television program, or time of day (called a "day-part").

In many countries, including the United States, television campaign advertisements are considered indispensable for a political campaign. In other countries, such as France, political advertising on television is heavily restricted, while some countries, such as Norway, completely ban political ads. The first official, paid television advertisement was broadcast in the United States on July 1, 1941 over New York station WNBT (now WNBC) before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. The announcement for Bulova watches, for which the company paid anywhere from $4.00 to $9.00 (reports vary), displayed a WNBT test pattern modified to look like a clock with the hands showing the time.

The Bulova logo, with the phrase "Bulova Watch Time", as shown in the lower right-hand quadrant of the test pattern while the second hand swept around the dial for one minute. The first TV ad broadcast in Asia was on Nippon TV in Tokio on August 28, 1953, advertising Seikosha (now Seiko), with also displayed a clock with the current time. The first TV ad broadcast in the UK was on ITV on 22 September 1955, advertising Gibbs SR toothpaste.

Smart TV

A Smart TV, sometimes referred to as connected TV or hibrid TV, (not to be confused with IPTV, Internet TV, or with Web TV) is a television set or set-top box with integrated Internet and Web 2.0 features, and is an example of technological convergence between computers and television sets and set-top boxes.

Besides the traditional functions of television sets and set-top boxes provided through traditional broadcasting media, these devices can also provide online interactive media, Internet TV, over-the-top content, as well as on-demand streaming media, and home networking access.

The software that runs smart TVs can be preloaded into the device, or updated or installed on demand via on app store or app marketplace, in a similar manner to how the Internet, Web widgets, and software applications (in this context commonly just referred to as "apps") are integrated in modern smartphones.

The technology that enables smart TVs is also incorporated in devices such as set-top boxes, digital media players, Blu-ray players, game consoles, digital signage hotel television systems, and other network connected interactive devices that utilize television type display outputs. 

Welcome to the future of the TV.

Television or TV.

Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium that is used for transmiting and receiving moving images and sound. Television can transmit images that are monochrome (black and white), in color, or in three dimensions.

The word "television" comes from Ancient Greek (tele = far),  and Latin (visio = sight). Television may also refer specifically to a television set, television program, or television transmission. First commercially available in very crude form on an experimental basis in the late 1920s, then popularized in greatly improved form shortly after World War II, the television set has become commonplace in homes, businesses, and institutions, particularly as a vehicle for entertainment, adevertising, and news. During the 1950s, tv became the primary medium for molding public opinion.

In the mid-1960s, color broadcasting and sales of color tv sets surged in the US and began in most other developed countries. The availability of storage media such as video cassettes (mid 1970s), laserdiscs (1978), DVDs (1997), and highdefinition Blu-ray discs (2006) enabled viewers to use the television set to watch recorder material such as movies and broadcast material. 

Internet TV has seen the rise of television programming available via the Internet through services such as iPlayer, Hulu, and Netflix. In 2009, 78% of the word´s households owned at least one television set, an increase of 5% from 2003. The replacement of bulky, high-voltage cathode ray tuve (CRT) screen displays with compact, energy-efficient, flat-panel alternatives such as LCDs (both fluorescentbacklit and LED-backlit), plasma displays, and OLED displays was a major hardware revolution that began penetrating the consumer computer monitor market in the late 1990s and soon spread to TV sets. In 2013, 87% of televisions sold had color LCD screens.