Awake – Preview
So imagine that you’ve come up with a great concept for a TV show, and that a big television network has heard your idea, loved it and wants to make the show. You’d be pretty excited wouldn’t you? Now imagine the show gets made, but when the pilot episode airs, viewing figures are not as good as expected, and then the figures for episode two are even worse. You’d be worried, but hope that the network sticks with it and your show finds an audience. (more…)
Veep Preview
In 2007, American network ABC produced a pilot for their version of The Thick Of It. Amongst the people who developed the show was Mitch Hurwitz (the man behind the brilliant Arrested Development), and included actors like Oliver Platt and Michael McKean (aka Spinal Tap’s David St. Hubbins). It was directed by Christopher Guest (another Tap alumni), but despite the list of talent involved, the show was not picked up. Armando Iannucci, who created The Thick Of It, was ultimately happy that it didn’t make it to television, saying ‘….It was terrible…they took the idea and chucked out all the style’. (more…)
The Walking Dead Series 2 Recap
Series 2 of The Walking Dead began with the group of survivors barely getting away as Dr. Jenner (Noah Emmerich) gave up the CDC headquarters and destroyed them. They had decided to head for Fort Benning, an army base where they hoped they could find refuge from the walkers. They didn’t get far before getting stuck on a road blocked by dozens of abandoned cars. (more…)
Why HBO Had to Cancel “Luck”
Luck seemed to arrive on HBO with a guarantee of success. Created by David Milch, who also created NYPD Blue and Deadwood, Luck gave leading roles to Hollywood stalwarts Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, and the pilot was directed by Michael Mann. The pilot originally aired last December, drawing over 1 million viewers, and was then shown again in late January, before coming to the UK on Sky Atlantic in February. Following the airing of the pilot, HBO immediately renewed the show for a second season, but the death of a horse on set during filming this week has resulted in HBO cancelling the show and halting production. (more…)
Shameless – US/UK Comparison
There’s nothing that creates a greater moan or sigh than the words “US version” following the title of a TV show. (more…)
Murdoch Mysteries Series 5 Preview
Based on Maureen Jennings’ series of hit novels, Murdoch Mysteries features pioneering detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) as he uses fledgling forensic techniques to solve perplexing crimes in Victorian-era Toronto. (more…)
Homeland Preview
Before Sky really started to invest heavily importing the best of US television, Channel 4 had a strong history of doing the same thing. They aired influential shows like NYPD Blue, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos and ER from their inception, and were the first UK channel to show Lost, before Sky pinched it from them. While they’ve still been importing US shows recently, they haven’t been able to secure the biggest shows ahead of Sky. But one successful show they have gotten a hold of is Homeland. (more…)
How Did You Miss – Breaking Bad: Seasons 1 and 2
How far would you go for love? What would you be willing to do to protect your future? At what point does the compromise outweigh the reason for making it? These themes are at the American heart of the AMC series “Breaking Bad”. (more…)
Death Valley – The Undead Task Force (Preview)
Death Valley is the dark comedy that follows the cops that capture the monsters, and the camera crew that captures the cops.
Review of US Drama on British television Part 4 – Sky
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This article follows on from Parts 1, 2 and 3 which can be found in the Television archives and covers BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. I am reviewing where each UK broadcaster stands as far as US TV drama is concerned now that the ‘Upfronts’ have been completed and the US primetime schedule for the upcoming 2011 season has been announced. This part covers Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic. (more…)
How Did You Miss… Six Feet Under?
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A drama about a family run funeral business does not seem like the kind of setting for a successful TV show. Luckily, HBO doesn’t do ‘safe’. The network that brought the world The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Larry Sanders Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm was the perfect home for Six Feet Under. (more…)
The Apprentice – Final Preview
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After 11 weeks of selling, buying, grafting and bickering the final of series seven of The Apprentice is with us on Sunday. (more…)
Torchwood: The Evolution of British Sci-Fi
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We Brits love Sci-Fi; we can’t get enough of it. Trouble is, largely due to budgets, we don’t make much of it. This isn’t to say we have not been inventive and created some classic TV series: Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy; Day of The Triffids; Quatermass and the granddaddy of them all, Doctor Who. (more…)
How did you miss… Deadwood
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The western genre has enjoyed another revival (not that it ever went away) with True Grit. Whilst watching the Coen Brothers’ retelling, I found myself pining for the long-gone HBO modern classic Deadwood.
Review of US Drama on British Television – Part 1 BBC and ITV
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Every year six of the main US networks (CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, CW and TNT) hold their ‘Upfronts’ in the third week of May, normally in New York. An ‘Upfront’ is a presentation for the press and major advertisers for the purpose of promoting new shows and announcing the upcoming primetime (i.e. middle of the evening) schedules for the fall (i.e. autumn) and winter. This allows marketers to buy commercial airtime several months before the new television season begins. Clips of new shows are shown and there are guest appearances by various network stars and producers. Most of the smaller cable networks present earlier in the spring. (more…)
How did you miss…. Dollhouse (TV Review)
Joss Whedon – shhh! Be careful saying it out loud in a large group of people unless you want to cause a massive sci-fi fans’ hysteria. They’re not just regular fans, Whedon’s people. They don’t just go to Comic-Con once a year and watch his TV shows over and over again (however they do that alright). They fight for their master, just like they did after “Firefly” got canceled in 2002. Even though they got the movie “Serenity” out of that, now, almost 10 years later, they are still not entirely satisfied with that decision, what lead to a campaign put up together with actor Nathan Fillion to raise 300 million dollars and get the show back to production. That, and the fact that pretty much everyone being in his teens in the first decade of 2000 has heard of “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” makes you understand the sort of cult icon that Whedon is. By now his fame and stardom has probably reached every continent as it spreads through nerds like a disease with every move the director makes and every project he undertakes.
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How did you miss… Carnivàle (TV Review)
If you have never heard of Carnivàle it may simply mean it is not a TV show for you. Not that it’s exclusive but it is demanding and doesn’t appeal to everyone. Let’s be honest – Carnivàle does carry a certain amount of weirdness. It’s a Lady Gaga amongst TV shows – but without the global commercial success and unnecessary pseudo-intellectual contexts. However, I highly recommend taking the time to watch the whole of it – as the creator Daniel Knauf said: “you may not understand everything that goes on but it does make a certain sense”.
