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1. Prime Suspect - unlike the previous American version of this series, this one is a bit too close to the original for its own good. As a result, it's a bit jarring for those who've seen the Helen Mirren British version. The production value, direction, casting and acting are all top notch. Writing isn't bad either - better than most network television procedurals. At times, the cinematography and acting made me think of The Wire and Homicide. Also the talent behind this thing - is possibly the best we're going to get - Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights), Maria Bello (History of Violence), Aiden Quinn (Legends of the Fall, amongst other films), Gerety (the Judge in The Wire), the guy who played Charlie (from Fringe)...but it is almost too raw. I wanted to hit most of the characters, and it made me edgy and angry. That said? If you are a fan of Breaking Bad or The Killing? You might actually like this quite a bit. It has the same tonal quality and production value of those series. Gritty, raw, what I like to call hyper-realism. Very little make-up for Bello and she does get beaten up by a perp, she's chased down, and still has the bruises.
Not comforting tv, but definitely quality. Just wish it were fresher - since there's a very odd sense of deja-vue throughout, and I kept wanting to just rewatch the original.
2. Doctor Who's Closing Time - I'm reminded of something I read recently in an interview between Dominic West and Clark Peters (both from The Wire, and West most recently from The Hour) in which West states that the main problem with British TV is they have a lot of producers but not many writers. You usually have this sole genuis, and a bunch of crappy amateurs. While in the US, with shows like The Wire - you have this genuis and a bunch of talented novelists...all shooting ideas off each other. This, I didn't know, but it does explain the uneven writing of Doctor Who and other British Series, quite a bit. Stephen Moffat is an excellent writer, the others that make up his crew? Not so much. I think the only one that I've liked so far is Neil Gaimen and he was a guest writer. Shame he can't be full time. Gaimen and Moffat working off each other for a full season would be an interesting experiment.
This episode grated on my nerves. I also realized...that while I adore Matt Smith's interpretation of the Doctor and find him rather amusing, I don't find him physically attractive for one very simple and incredibly odd reason - the man has no eyebrows, or he does, but they are barely there. Yes, I have an eyebrow fetish. It's rather amazing how expressive he is without them - somewhat captivating in fact. Smith's actually more expressive without much of an eyebrow than some actors are with them.
( Spoilers-vague )
That said? There were a few good bits here.
( Spoilers for Closing Time - this is basically all meta and pattern analysis )
Not comforting tv, but definitely quality. Just wish it were fresher - since there's a very odd sense of deja-vue throughout, and I kept wanting to just rewatch the original.
2. Doctor Who's Closing Time - I'm reminded of something I read recently in an interview between Dominic West and Clark Peters (both from The Wire, and West most recently from The Hour) in which West states that the main problem with British TV is they have a lot of producers but not many writers. You usually have this sole genuis, and a bunch of crappy amateurs. While in the US, with shows like The Wire - you have this genuis and a bunch of talented novelists...all shooting ideas off each other. This, I didn't know, but it does explain the uneven writing of Doctor Who and other British Series, quite a bit. Stephen Moffat is an excellent writer, the others that make up his crew? Not so much. I think the only one that I've liked so far is Neil Gaimen and he was a guest writer. Shame he can't be full time. Gaimen and Moffat working off each other for a full season would be an interesting experiment.
This episode grated on my nerves. I also realized...that while I adore Matt Smith's interpretation of the Doctor and find him rather amusing, I don't find him physically attractive for one very simple and incredibly odd reason - the man has no eyebrows, or he does, but they are barely there. Yes, I have an eyebrow fetish. It's rather amazing how expressive he is without them - somewhat captivating in fact. Smith's actually more expressive without much of an eyebrow than some actors are with them.
( Spoilers-vague )
That said? There were a few good bits here.
( Spoilers for Closing Time - this is basically all meta and pattern analysis )