Television Reviews
Aug. 6th, 2017 09:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Halfway through Season 1 of the Great British Bake-Off, I ran across a rather painful bit in the third or fourth episode. Possibly the only time I almost had to quite watching. I can't watch people being humiliated on television or anywhere. It's why I can't watch most reality shows and most situation comedies.
What happened, was on a very hot day, with 80-90 degree heat, the contestants are requested to create a baked Alaska. (I have no idea how 25 degrees C translates to F. I'm guessing it's at least 85 degrees.) The night before, two of the five freezers had broken down. So there was limited freezer space. Two of the freezers were full. So Ian put his ice cream in the freezer containing Diana, Chetna and Kate's ice cream. It had enough space for his. Diana, with about twenty minutes remaining, took his ice cream out and put something hers in, assuming he was taking up space in her freezer and everyone had their own. Leaving it to melt. When Ian completed his meringue and went to get his ice cream...he discovered it melting on the counter top, so it turn out to be blotchy mess. He felt there was no way to salvage it and threw it in the bin and left the tent furious. Diana said, well didn't you have your own freezer?
Ian was booted out. And I was not happy with Diana. The next episode, it is announced that Diana has fallen ill. And that's the only on-air explanation provided.
Now, a lot of people had gloppy and melting ice cream, so yes, he could have provided something. But I think he probably would have reacted differently if he hadn't discovered it sitting on the counter when he'd put in the freezer. I'd have gotten upset too. I think the judges were put in a difficult position...because a lot of the bakers had gloppy ice cream that week.
I went online to see what really happened... Ian Watters baking controversy.
Apparently there isn't much agreement on what happened. But Watters doesn't blame Beard, so much as the producers and editors. He's actually fairly laid-back over it.
It does explain why the show has gone out of its way to avoid a re-occurrence of friction among contestants. And when there's ice cream involved, each person has their own freezer. Also, Sue, Mel and sometimes another contestant will go out of their way to help someone. Unlike most reality television, Bake-Off goes out of its way to avoid friction and humiliation. Which is why I love it, except of course for that episode.
2. Big Little Lies - HBO Limited Series, written by David E Kelley, directed by Jean De Vallee, starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shaliene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Alexander Skarsgard. Adapted from Australian writer, Lian Moriarity's best selling novel Big Little Lies, which is a satirical mystery set in an upper-class suburb of Australia. Here, it is an upper class suburb of Monteraye, California.
Quite good. It was filmed in an interesting manner. The series starts with a murder at the elementary school's big fund-raising benefit. We aren't told who was killed, why, or by whom, just that a murder happened. Then interspersed with various parental interviews, people who not part of the cast and just happen to know the leads by reputation or as acquaintances, we watch how it all came about.
Half-way through, I figured out the why, and finally the who, the only surprise was the murderer. Although it wasn't really a murder, so much as voluntary manslaughter.
The murder is the least interesting part, and it's less about that...then it is about women struggling in suburban lifestyle in a ...male dominated narcissistic competition driven society.
It's not a nice picture of suburban life. Or rather it has a Lynchian take on it, ie, the dark waters beneath the surface.
I can see why it got a lot of nominations. But, it the mystery is rather obvious and almost too neat.
Also there's three-four subplots, including the mystery, that get connected in an almost too easy fashion.
The performances are spot-on for the most part. Particularly Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Alex Skarsgard, and Shaileen Woodley.
And overall, I loved the direction. But the writing and plot...got preachy at times, and a bit obvious or heavy handed.
The series is biting criticism of a specific contemporary romance sub-genre, a la the 50 Shades of Grey subgenre. With the powerful beautiful troubled man, and smart pretty woman, and the wild sex -- not quite being what you think.
It's also a biting critique of our ego-driven society. And it contains somewhat graphic depictions of rape and domestic violence.
So, if any of that are triggers for you? You might want to avoid.
3. I decided to get the 30 day trial on HBO Now...so am streaming HBO series. I don't know if I'll continue after the 30 days or not. Plan on streaming S7 GOT this week.
Right now, hearing it blaring in the apartment over my head. Seriously.
What happened, was on a very hot day, with 80-90 degree heat, the contestants are requested to create a baked Alaska. (I have no idea how 25 degrees C translates to F. I'm guessing it's at least 85 degrees.) The night before, two of the five freezers had broken down. So there was limited freezer space. Two of the freezers were full. So Ian put his ice cream in the freezer containing Diana, Chetna and Kate's ice cream. It had enough space for his. Diana, with about twenty minutes remaining, took his ice cream out and put something hers in, assuming he was taking up space in her freezer and everyone had their own. Leaving it to melt. When Ian completed his meringue and went to get his ice cream...he discovered it melting on the counter top, so it turn out to be blotchy mess. He felt there was no way to salvage it and threw it in the bin and left the tent furious. Diana said, well didn't you have your own freezer?
Ian was booted out. And I was not happy with Diana. The next episode, it is announced that Diana has fallen ill. And that's the only on-air explanation provided.
Now, a lot of people had gloppy and melting ice cream, so yes, he could have provided something. But I think he probably would have reacted differently if he hadn't discovered it sitting on the counter when he'd put in the freezer. I'd have gotten upset too. I think the judges were put in a difficult position...because a lot of the bakers had gloppy ice cream that week.
I went online to see what really happened... Ian Watters baking controversy.
Apparently there isn't much agreement on what happened. But Watters doesn't blame Beard, so much as the producers and editors. He's actually fairly laid-back over it.
It does explain why the show has gone out of its way to avoid a re-occurrence of friction among contestants. And when there's ice cream involved, each person has their own freezer. Also, Sue, Mel and sometimes another contestant will go out of their way to help someone. Unlike most reality television, Bake-Off goes out of its way to avoid friction and humiliation. Which is why I love it, except of course for that episode.
2. Big Little Lies - HBO Limited Series, written by David E Kelley, directed by Jean De Vallee, starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shaliene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Alexander Skarsgard. Adapted from Australian writer, Lian Moriarity's best selling novel Big Little Lies, which is a satirical mystery set in an upper-class suburb of Australia. Here, it is an upper class suburb of Monteraye, California.
Quite good. It was filmed in an interesting manner. The series starts with a murder at the elementary school's big fund-raising benefit. We aren't told who was killed, why, or by whom, just that a murder happened. Then interspersed with various parental interviews, people who not part of the cast and just happen to know the leads by reputation or as acquaintances, we watch how it all came about.
Half-way through, I figured out the why, and finally the who, the only surprise was the murderer. Although it wasn't really a murder, so much as voluntary manslaughter.
The murder is the least interesting part, and it's less about that...then it is about women struggling in suburban lifestyle in a ...male dominated narcissistic competition driven society.
It's not a nice picture of suburban life. Or rather it has a Lynchian take on it, ie, the dark waters beneath the surface.
I can see why it got a lot of nominations. But, it the mystery is rather obvious and almost too neat.
Also there's three-four subplots, including the mystery, that get connected in an almost too easy fashion.
The performances are spot-on for the most part. Particularly Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Alex Skarsgard, and Shaileen Woodley.
And overall, I loved the direction. But the writing and plot...got preachy at times, and a bit obvious or heavy handed.
The series is biting criticism of a specific contemporary romance sub-genre, a la the 50 Shades of Grey subgenre. With the powerful beautiful troubled man, and smart pretty woman, and the wild sex -- not quite being what you think.
It's also a biting critique of our ego-driven society. And it contains somewhat graphic depictions of rape and domestic violence.
So, if any of that are triggers for you? You might want to avoid.
3. I decided to get the 30 day trial on HBO Now...so am streaming HBO series. I don't know if I'll continue after the 30 days or not. Plan on streaming S7 GOT this week.
Right now, hearing it blaring in the apartment over my head. Seriously.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-07 08:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-08-07 12:22 pm (UTC)Do you know what the Brits call the American version of a biscuit?
no subject
Date: 2017-08-07 12:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-08-07 01:04 pm (UTC)I'm getting answers via email, no access to actual posts or journal from this computer. (work computer). Probably should have made that clear?
Did see your email notification response after wrote this one though...
Sorry about journal entry above...it's a mess, will have to fix at home tonight. The baked Alaska mess explains why the show never tried it again, and put certain things in place to prevent a re-occurrence. Can see why it blew up into the general national consciousness...it really was painful to watch.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-07 02:07 pm (UTC)What's amazing is that out of seven seasons, the Baked Alaska incident is the only moment of Reality Show High Drama. No, that's not quite right. There is another in Season 3 when a contestant cut themselves badly and it was clear they were bleeding into their glove. One of the contestants that year was a doctor and while another contestant got the on-set medic, she made him stop, sit down and began assessing the situation. Never mind her bake; this came first for her at that moment. But it was, of course, Very Dramatic, with blood and such.
But they do focus on being lovely and that's one of the reasons I've been enjoying it.
Big Little Lies? I think I may skip.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-07 02:16 pm (UTC)Wait, S5 is S1 on Netflix? Oh that explains why they kept acting as if they'd been doing the show a long time. Apparently they weren't acting they had been doing it for some time.
Explains, why I hadn't seen that season.
Which Season is Season 1 of the series?
What's amazing is that out of seven seasons, the Baked Alaska incident is the only moment of Reality Show High Drama. No, that's not quite right. There is another in Season 3 when a contestant cut themselves badly and it was clear they were bleeding into their glove. One of the contestants that year was a doctor and while another contestant got the on-set medic, she made him stop, sit down and began assessing the situation. Never mind her bake; this came first for her at that moment. But it was, of course, Very Dramatic, with blood and such.
But they do focus on being lovely and that's one of the reasons I've been enjoying it.
So the baked Alaska incident was the only one and came late in the series? Did not know that. Reassuring. And somewhat amazing.
The producers, editors, and hosts definitely set the right tone to accomplish that.
Even the Baked Alaska incident focused mainly on the lovely. Neither of the contestants blamed each other. And the producers refused to focus on it.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-07 08:16 pm (UTC)But even in the first season, that focus on the lovely is there and one of the reasons I think it's so successful. But the atmosphere is such that when one of the S2 semi-finalists jokes, "Oh, we're all being lovely and supportive, but inside, we're all thinking, 'Will one of you just die?'" it clearly is meant as a bit of a joke.
But it also means that I worry about how the new version on Channel Four is going to go. I'm hoping the lovely will remain with the new hosts and judge. (Comments about how they want to "modernize" the dishes are worrisome.)
The order on Netflix is Season 5, Season 4, Season 6. Season 7 is what PBS just showed, and there are two Christmas specials that aired in 2016 (which may show up at the holidays). Those were "all-star" editions with former contestants coming back and trying for the Star Baker title. Those were very fun. Especially with Mary and the extremely large horseradish one of the bakers had brought. Which she was holding and both Paul and Mel were about to lose it because it was just so phallic.
Give how successful the show's been on PBS, and the fact they've already bought the rights, I'm pretty certain the first three seasons will show up over the next couple of years.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-08 12:10 am (UTC)That's very weird. Did PBS just not buy the rights until late in the game? And decide to show what they bought...see if it took off then buy the early seasons??
I've never seen a series shown completely out of order. Although probably doesn't matter since the seasons don't build on each other..
I hunted it down after I discovered what PBS was airing was further along. S1 is different because the tent travels around the country -- so they do pasties in Cornwall and scones at Scone Palace. The technical is slight different, too, with there being actual points where you had to have your bake in the oven -- and Paul in the tent calling out timings.
Ah, so that's the origin of the tent idea. It was traveling around. I can see why they stopped that practice. Reminds me a little of Two Fat Ladies, who would travel around the country side. But there were only two of them. (My other all-time favorite comfort cooking series).
I really want to see that season though. Maybe when PBS finishes with S7, it will air them? I haven't seen all of 7, yet, because it keeps getting interrupted by pledge drives.
But even in the first season, that focus on the lovely is there and one of the reasons I think it's so successful.
I'd agree. It's what distinguishes it from 98% of the other reality shows and competitions, they are nice. (Actually The Voice sort of is too, but I find it grating for other reasons...). It's the only reality series I watch any longer, for that reason - the Great British Bake-Off not the Voice.
But it also means that I worry about how the new version on Channel Four is going to go. I'm hoping the lovely will remain with the new hosts and judge. (Comments about how they want to "modernize" the dishes are worrisome.)
I admittedly don't know enough about British television to fully understand the significance of the jump from the BBC to Channel 4. Except that it clearly pissed off all the women, Mary Berry, Sue, and Mel. But I agree the shake up is worrisome. It would be a big mistake if they let go of the loveliness and kindness, because I honestly think you're correct and that's the secret to its success and what distinguishes it from the thousands of similar series out there.
I mean it's not the only food contest series on. I've seen the American version which is trying to simulate it and almost accomplishes it. (The American version which pops up in December, has Mary Berry, some Italian-American Pastry Chef (who I actually like better than Paul Hollywood) and the woman who starred in my Big Fat Greek Wedding along with her real life husband. It's lovely too, but not quite as lovely as the British take.)
I can't help but wonder if the main selling point of the British version is actually Mel and Sue, not the judges. Because they really do set the tone. And keep things light and kind throughout.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-07 02:49 pm (UTC)I watched Bake-Off as a palate cleanser after Big Little Lies...which while Lies is well-written etc, it's not a nice story, and the people are definitely not likable.