There aren't too many US TV shows that inspire the same passion in me as there were a few years back. Xena, Buffy, Angel, X Files, Voyager - these were all ones I adored. Alias is winding down, and has been a bit less gripping anyway these last few years. But 24 is still going strong, and one I am always anxious to see.
The format of 24 hours non-stop action seemed unlikely when the show began, but fans have got to realise that a total suspension of disbelief is essential. No Jack can't fall asleep for 5 episodes. No, you can't spend 24 hours trying to get over the death of someone close!
A big plus IMO in the last few years is the addition of Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajtkub - pretty sure I spelt that wring though!) who is just brilliant! So snarky and focussed. This week she had some drunk hitting on her in a bar, so she invited him to sit down, and tazered him to shut him up! No agonising for Chloe, she just does what she has to. In a show that is all action, Chloe adds the ONLY humour, and its good the producers have valued that and signed her up as the only other regular apart from Jack.
One of the other things I love about 24 is that despite it being an all action show, there are always interesting roles for women. OK, so maybe not the super irritating Kim Baur, but we have the wonderful Martha Logan this year, Karen Hayes is shaping up as a more intriguing character, and Audrey is much less annoying this year! Lets not forget some of the past ladies. Best TV villains ever, Sherry Palmer and Nina Meyers - icons! Last year's favourite guest star Dina Araz (can't spell the actresses name, but she was superb) and I think I was alone, but I really liked the Aussie girl who was the main female lead in S2 - the one with the assassin sister.
24 occasionally feels as if they are making it up as the go along, but it is still a top notch thriller.
Brief mention for this week's Doctor Who, The Girl in the Fireplace. Another good one, but another one exploring relationships - not traditional themes of the show. Sophia Myles is David Tennant's girlfriend, and there was great chemistry between them. She's a fine actress, and the script was very good. A touching story, and nicely scary robot villains.
Green Wing continues to be my number one show. This week's episode continues the Caroline/Mac theme, with some actually quite touching scenes about relationships and responsibilty. Caroline goes out on a date with a sexy new bloke, but Guy seems to be genuinely jealous - throwing a penknife in his head was the giveaway! We had a little moment of Caroline/Sue bonding over Mac going off with Holly - Sue trying to cop a feel while she was at it made me hoot! I've signed up at the Channel 4 Green Wing forum as I'm feeling the need to share Green Wing chatter!
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Tele Talk - Dr Who - School Reunion
Like many British kids, I grew up watching Dr Who on a Saturday evening - often from behind a cushion! I still remember the Autons (Jon Pertwee years). Shop dummies, whose hands dropped down to reveal guns. I peeped round shop windows and ran for it for years afterwards!
Anyway, the new Dr Who series has been a big hit here, and this week's episode was one I really REALLY loved as it featured my favourite assistant, Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen. For me, the classic Dr Who years were the ones with Tom Baker and Liz Sladen - I can still remember being very upset when Sarah Jane left.
It's funny, but in a way, Dr Who was a show that challenged kids to accept change and loss - your favourite Doctors would leave, new assistants had to be got used to etc etc. I remember the emotions of loss when Jon Pertwee left, but I got to love Tom Baker. I was distraught at his being replaced by Peter Davison. How could **HE** replace Tom!!? However, I also got to like his constantly breathless Doctor, and Tegan and Nyssa were high on my list of favourite compantions. By the time Colin Baker took over, I was about 16 and stopped watching, but I still remember those changeovers. I think it was only Sarah Jane's departure (and possibly the glee I felt at Adric's death!) that stood out among the assistants. She was just a great character. Not useless or annoying, but someone who wanted to find out the truth and a strong character too.
The new series has been a huge hit here. Many were deeply concerned over the casting of Billie Piper when it was announced - including me, but we all had to eat our words! I think I was happier that she was staying for S2 than sorry about Christopher Eccleston's departure. Billie as Rose is a terrific ballsy character, and her acting really is very good. HOWEVER, not even Billie can displace Sarah Jane as my favourite assistant, and this week's Dr Who saw her return. It could have been so bad, she could have been wasted, but the writers and producers have to be applauded in a big way, as this was by far the best episode of David Tennants brief reign (although as an event, the Christmas ep can't be beaten - that was outstanding!)
The story was standard Dr Who. Investigation of sinister aliens posing as teachers was the sort of things the series does well - taking a familiar setting, a school, and adding menace and danger. The Doctor is posing as a physics teacher, when a journalist doing a profile ofthe Head is introduced - Sarah Jane. I loved the way they had the Doctor react to her. A big change in the new series has been a far more human Doctor. We never really got to see much genuine emotion when it came to the assistants in the past. There has been a fair degree of attraction between the Doctor and Rose from the off, but very delicately handled. Here, we see the Doctor really over come at the return of what is portrayed as an old love. Tom Baker never hugged Sarah Jane or appeared so fond of her. I think this has been a big strength of the new series, and they have walked that fine line really successfully.
What was lovely in this episode was the many layers there were to the return of the Doctor's old flame. The conflict and jealousy, yet ultimate bonding between Sarah Jane and Rose, and particularly Sarah Jane's feelings about adjusting to life back on Earth, and the lack of closure to that most important of relationships. This theme and the reason why the Doctor moves on from old friends was really addressed well. The final scene where Sarah Jane gets to say a proper goodbye to the Doctor brought a tear to my eye - and I don't in any way count myself as a huge Who fan. It was just very emotional, although I bet loads of kids watching who had never seen Sarah Jane weren't impressed!
The other old friend to return was the tin dog, K9 - another favourite, although more as a funny character than anything else. Loved Rose and Mickey's reaction to him! This was such a good episode in that we even had plenty of character development for Mickey too - his realisation that he could be the tin dog of the group!
Then in amongst all that, Tony Head returned to school - possibly his first since leaving the Sunnydale library in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He is always an interesting actor, and while his role was pretty much panto villain, he did a great job.
As I said, while I watched Dr Who as a kid, I've never counted myself as a huge fan, however, I just adored this week's episode! An almost perfect sci fi hour!
Anyway, the new Dr Who series has been a big hit here, and this week's episode was one I really REALLY loved as it featured my favourite assistant, Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen. For me, the classic Dr Who years were the ones with Tom Baker and Liz Sladen - I can still remember being very upset when Sarah Jane left.
It's funny, but in a way, Dr Who was a show that challenged kids to accept change and loss - your favourite Doctors would leave, new assistants had to be got used to etc etc. I remember the emotions of loss when Jon Pertwee left, but I got to love Tom Baker. I was distraught at his being replaced by Peter Davison. How could **HE** replace Tom!!? However, I also got to like his constantly breathless Doctor, and Tegan and Nyssa were high on my list of favourite compantions. By the time Colin Baker took over, I was about 16 and stopped watching, but I still remember those changeovers. I think it was only Sarah Jane's departure (and possibly the glee I felt at Adric's death!) that stood out among the assistants. She was just a great character. Not useless or annoying, but someone who wanted to find out the truth and a strong character too.
The new series has been a huge hit here. Many were deeply concerned over the casting of Billie Piper when it was announced - including me, but we all had to eat our words! I think I was happier that she was staying for S2 than sorry about Christopher Eccleston's departure. Billie as Rose is a terrific ballsy character, and her acting really is very good. HOWEVER, not even Billie can displace Sarah Jane as my favourite assistant, and this week's Dr Who saw her return. It could have been so bad, she could have been wasted, but the writers and producers have to be applauded in a big way, as this was by far the best episode of David Tennants brief reign (although as an event, the Christmas ep can't be beaten - that was outstanding!)
The story was standard Dr Who. Investigation of sinister aliens posing as teachers was the sort of things the series does well - taking a familiar setting, a school, and adding menace and danger. The Doctor is posing as a physics teacher, when a journalist doing a profile ofthe Head is introduced - Sarah Jane. I loved the way they had the Doctor react to her. A big change in the new series has been a far more human Doctor. We never really got to see much genuine emotion when it came to the assistants in the past. There has been a fair degree of attraction between the Doctor and Rose from the off, but very delicately handled. Here, we see the Doctor really over come at the return of what is portrayed as an old love. Tom Baker never hugged Sarah Jane or appeared so fond of her. I think this has been a big strength of the new series, and they have walked that fine line really successfully.
What was lovely in this episode was the many layers there were to the return of the Doctor's old flame. The conflict and jealousy, yet ultimate bonding between Sarah Jane and Rose, and particularly Sarah Jane's feelings about adjusting to life back on Earth, and the lack of closure to that most important of relationships. This theme and the reason why the Doctor moves on from old friends was really addressed well. The final scene where Sarah Jane gets to say a proper goodbye to the Doctor brought a tear to my eye - and I don't in any way count myself as a huge Who fan. It was just very emotional, although I bet loads of kids watching who had never seen Sarah Jane weren't impressed!
The other old friend to return was the tin dog, K9 - another favourite, although more as a funny character than anything else. Loved Rose and Mickey's reaction to him! This was such a good episode in that we even had plenty of character development for Mickey too - his realisation that he could be the tin dog of the group!
Then in amongst all that, Tony Head returned to school - possibly his first since leaving the Sunnydale library in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He is always an interesting actor, and while his role was pretty much panto villain, he did a great job.
As I said, while I watched Dr Who as a kid, I've never counted myself as a huge fan, however, I just adored this week's episode! An almost perfect sci fi hour!
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