The Man in the High Castle (2015– )

The Man in the High Castle (2015)

Based on Philip K. Dick's award-winning novel and adapted by Frank Spotniz, The Man in the High Castle explores what it would be like if the Allied Powers had lost WWII, and Japan and Germany ruled the United States. Starring Rufus Sewell (John Adams), Luke Kleintank (Pretty Little Liars) and Alexa Davalos (Mob City). Executive produced by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner).

The Man in the High Castle User Review

What is ostensibly Amazon's attempt at developing its own 'House of Cards' provides an intriguing backdrop with a promising but somewhat- shaky implementation. The show, based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, is one of five pilots that Amazon is promoting for a potential run at a full 2015 season. 

Right from the start, the show stays close to its source material in both plot and setting. While following the book certainly has its merits, the script so far lacks in its portrayal of the characters' psychological intricacies— and in several cases comes across as heavy-handed. For example, in this episode we learn (and are reminded of) how evil the Nazis are through generic torture scenes and murder-- typical "bad guy" stuff. I don't recall the text depicting any accounts of Nazi violence to this extent, but rather their presence loomed on all characters due to the claustrophobic effects of their propaganda and fascist scheming. 

The acting was competent but the script felt oddly-paced, in particular it seemed that not much thought had been given to the character Joe Blake (he did not exist in the book) as he didn't really convey any emotional or logical motivation for wanting to become a political dissident besides hoping to "do the right thing". That being said, the characters Nobusuke Tagomi and Juliana Crain were especially brought to life in this adaptation.

Based on the direction of the pilot, I fear that the show may attempt to play-up the "American resistance" theme which is irrelevant and antithetical to one of the major messages of the book. What was intended as a commentary on paranoid diplomacy in a totalitarian world could all too easily become a trite Star Wars- style action/adventure series. On the other hand, one cannot expect fully fleshed-out characters in the pilot episode so it will take some more time to fairly judge the writing quality. 

I am cautiously optimistic about this show's future-- for a pilot it certainly succeeded in establishing an alluring setting, and I was not surprised to learn that Ridley Scott was involved as the set- design and ambiance was superb. Overall, I am excited to see if this will manage to thrive alongside both the classic novel and other contemporary political-drama TV shows.

Title	:	The Man in the High Castle
First Air Date	:	Jan 15, 2015
Last Air Date	:	Nov 21, 2015
Number of Episodes	:	10
Number of Seasons	:	1
Genres	:	Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Networks	:	Amazon
Casts	:	Rufus Sewell, Luke Kleintank, Alexa Davalos, Rupert Evans, DJ Qualls, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Read more »

Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller,

Rate it :

Dickensian (2015)

Dickensian (2015)

Drama set within the fictional realms of Charles Dickens critically acclaimed novels, bringing together some of his most iconic characters as their lives intertwine in 19th century London.

Dickensian (2015)

It's often said that if Charles Dickens were working today, he'd be scripting soap operas. So it's fitting that the ambitious new drama Dickensian (BBC One) was the brainchild of veteran EastEnders writer Tony Jordan. Re-imagining the master storyteller's works as overlapping tales set on a single fictional street in 19th-century London, Jordan put a pacy, playful and subtly sudsy new spin on much-loved material. Its debut double bill left me saying, “Please, sir, I want some more".

The scene was set over a white Christmas, with carol singers out in force, and as the camera prowled the Cockney cobbles, a gallery of familiar characters flitted in and out of view. Fagin (played by Anton Lesser with more twinkle than traditional portrayals) lurked in his den, while moneylenders Ebenezer Scrooge (a creepy, bah-humbugging turn from Ned Dennehy) and Jacob Marley (sneering Peter Firth) called in loans.

Ruddy-faced Mrs Gamp (Pauline Collins) gossiped over stolen sherry, and over in The Old Curiosity Shop, feverish Little Nell was on the brink of death. Just as in the novels, tragedy and comedy were mulled together in an appealing brew.

There was JR Ewing-esque financial villainy from Arthur Havisham (the suitably slippery Joe Quinn), plotting with dashing conman Compeyson (Tom Weston-Jones) to swizz his sister out of the family fortune. Expect poor Miss Havisham (Tuppence Middleton) to get jilted at the altar, doomed to gaze forever in despair at her wedding feast - much as she was here, looking lonely over Christmas lunch.

By the time the credits rolled on the first episode, murdered Marley was lying in the snow with his skull smashed in. Like any whodunit worth its salt, suspects were plentiful. Episode two featured elements of police procedural as Bleak House's Inspector Bucket (the superlative Stephen Rea) meticulously gathered evidence with the help of Our Mutual Friend's taxidermist Mr Venus (Omid Djalili), in a sort of Ye Olde CSI.

This was all cleverly intercut with romantic sub-plots, scruffy urchins having snowball fights and scenes of festive cheer, mostly provided by the plucky Cratchit family as they exchanged gifts, roasted chestnuts and shared a disappointingly diminutive goose.

Dickensian will unfold in 20 half-hour instalments, its format reminiscent of the BBC’s landmark serialisation of Bleak House a decade ago. Such soap-style scheduling isn't far removed from how Dickens told his original stories, published in short instalments with cliffhanger endings, the multiple plot threads drawn inexorably together over time. Jordan is a Dickens super-fan and his love of the great man's works seeped through every line of the sparkling script.

This 200-year-old treat in 21st-century wrapping was an ingeniously conceived, handsomely crafted gift - signed, with love, from Jordan and Dickens. Consider this my thank-you letter.

Title	:	Dickensian
First Air Date	:	Dec 26, 2015
Last Air Date	:	Jan 07, 2016
Number of Episodes	:	6
Number of Seasons	:	1
Genres	:	Drama
Networks	:	BBC One
Casts	:	Alexandra Moen, Ned Dennehy, Stephen Rea, Pauline Collins,Peter Firth, Phoebe Dynevor, Omid Djalili, Zaak Conway

Read more »

Drama,

Rate it :

Show Me a Hero (2015)

Show Me a Hero (2015)

Mayor Nick Wasicsko took office in 1987 during Yonkers' worst crisis. When federal courts ordered public housing be built in the white, middle class side of town, it divided the city in a bitter battle fueled by fear, racism, murder and politics.

Show Me a Hero User Review

Show Me a Hero is a six part mini series that takes six episodes to watch. The reason I say this is because I found myself changing my mind multiple times on what I thought about what I was watching. Unlike the Wire, there is a lack of action and climatic moments. This gave the Wire the suspense element to go along with the drama. Here, all we have is a political drama. Although the casting is perfect and the true reflection of politics is well defined, it lacks the grit that the Wire showcased. Still, both the Wire and Show Me a Hero gave a realistic account of our society. Oscar Isaac gives a perfect performance as Nick Wasicsko. His portrayal of the not so perfect, inexperienced, yet heroic Mayor of Yonkers gives the mini series the meat on the bone. His journey reflects what it means to have courage in a world of cut throat politics. Much of the audience will be on the ropes with this story. I found myself changing my mind about what I felt about Wasicsko, the people living in the projects, members of the city council and the protesters. The mini series does this perfectly as you become a spectator of what Yonkers went through. I feel the producers of the mini series did this for a reason. This alone makes Show Me a Hero worth watching.

Release Date	:	Aug 16, 2015
Runtime	:	300 minutes
Genres	:	History, Crime, Drama
Production Company	:
Production Countries	:
Casts	:	Oscar Isaac, Alfred Molina, Winona Ryder, Catherine Keener,James Belushi, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stahl-David
Plot Keywords	:	mayor, politics, murder, racism, public housing, mini series

Read more »

Crime, Drama, History,

Rate it :

Top Gear (2002– )

Jeremy, Richard and James talk about everything car-related. From new cars to how they're fueled, this show has it all.

Top Gear is unlike any of the car shows produced in the U.S. It is, to use a term popular on the other side of the pond, brilliant. The hosts display personalities, wit, and charm. Along with the facts and numbers the souls of the cars are revealed. Any car. We aren't subjected to just the latest and greatest, but, also the common; just seen through the eyes of those who enjoy cars. Top Gear is like sitting around with your buddies and talking cars and having a good laugh all the while. It was good to have a car show that's intelligent and witty. It's a shame the Discovery Channel no longer has room in it's schedule for a show that's fun to watch.

Seasons : 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Title	:	Top Gear
First Air Date	:	Oct 20, 2002
Last Air Date	:	Mar 22, 2015
Number of Episodes	:	173
Number of Seasons	:	22
Genres	:	Documentary, Comedy
Networks	:	British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC HD, BBC Two, BBC America
Casts	:	Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May
Alternative Titles	:	Top Gear, Aukščiausia pavara

Read more »

Comedy, Documentary,

Rate it :

Scorpion (2014– )

Based on the real life of Walter O'Brien, a genius with an IQ of 197. Walter is asked by Homeland Security to put together a special group of gifted individuals to troubleshoot the most difficult problems that the US & the world may encounter.

Evidently several reviewers who pan this show as "unrealistic" have never seen any of today's mega-hit action movies. They are all "unrealistic", "over the top", etc. They make no attempt to be realistic. They focus on being FUN.

An LA Times movie critic called this show "ridiculous, but fun". EXACTLY!!! If you want realism, watch a documentary. This show is intended to provide entertainment, pure and simple, and on that score I give it high marks. All of the actors are archetypes of the character types that they portray, and at that they seem to me to all excel. They are no different than the superhero genre of films that are raking in so many $$$ at the box office today.

Seasons : 1 2

Title	:	Scorpion
First Air Date	:	Sep 22, 2014
Last Air Date	:	Dec 14, 2015
Number of Episodes	:	34
Number of Seasons	:	2
Genres	:	Action, Drama
Networks	:	CBS
Casts	:	Elyes Gabel, Robert Patrick, Katharine McPhee, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Jadyn Wong, Ari Stidham
Alternative Titles	:	代号蝎子, 蝎子网络, 蝎尽所能,

Read more »

Action, Drama,

Rate it :

Lost (2004–2010)

Life is laid bare as a group of plane crash survivors find themselves stranded on a remote Pacific island. The trauma of the crash soon becomes overshadowed by the island itself, where unseen creatures stalk the jungle, paranormal happenings abound and astonishing coincidences reveal themselves. In this unique environment emotions swell as the survivors battle their inner and outer demons, and strive to live together - so that they won't die alone.

LOST is a cool experimental TV series. It has been wrongly labeled as a simple concoction of well known stories (e.g. Lord of the flies, The beach). Due to its complexity, you feel lost at times.

The unnumbered flashbacks, which were conceived as a novelty at first, have turned off many unprepared viewers. A few flashbacks didn't seem to contribute to the overall plots and only broke the flow of the story, especially when the viewers were eager to know more about what's happening on the island. Admittedly, they helped build the characters and explained their behaviors and the choices they made, but in a very short-lived manner. 

I had an impression that the series was written and rewritten as it was filmed. There were very few plots that ran through the show. At times, the characters, instead of the stories, explained the rationales to 'patch up' the illogical parts. 

The quirky, thus interesting, characters dominated the latter part of the show and initial two main characters seemed to fade into the background. A nice balance could have been better. There were a lot of character pruning throughout the show. Introducing new characters at the latter part of the show was a mistake. It only confused the viewers. This shows that the script probably wasn't complete before the shooting had started.

LOST played with the ideas of alternate realities, time travel, multi-worlds, life after death, and spiritual worlds. This complicated the plots but I commend the bravery and its nice execution. 

For me, the most fascinating thing about LOST is the philosophical questions it imposed on us: Do you have somewhere or someone to go back to? How far are you willing to go to save yourself or your loved ones? Is having a faith, blind or not, better than having no faith at all? Can you really get away from your past? Do you really know the people you wholeheartedly trust?

If you like multi-plotted stories like LOST with twisted endings, you will love 'Somewhere carnal over 40 winks'.

Seasons : 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Title	:	Lost
First Air Date	:	Sep 22, 2004
Last Air Date	:	May 23, 2010
Number of Episodes	:	121
Number of Seasons	:	6
Genres	:	Science Fiction, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery, Adventure
Networks	:	American Broadcasting Company
Casts	:	Naveen Andrews, Matthew Fox, Josh Holloway, Daniel Dae Kim,Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn, Emilie de Ravin, Michael Emerson,Henry Ian Cusick, Kim Yoon-jin, John Terry
Alternative Titles	:	Kayıp, LOST: Naufragiaţii

Read more »

Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller,

Rate it :

Luther (2010–2015)

A crime drama series starring Idris Elba as a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions.

"Luther" the new BBC detective series lead by Idris Elba as DCI John Luther, is a riveting watch. This character, Luther, is a loose cannon primed to fire at will or by wonder, yet this detective's intelligence and focus seems to keep him charging in the right direction. He and fellow officers appear to work on a rather intuitive level and their ability to relate to us 'common folk' and our reaction to injustice, is a magnetizing factor. 

The relationship he has with his wife, Zoe, works well as a part of the machinery that helps reveal the different layers of his character. Beyond that, I must admit I feel slightly ambiguous towards her part, at this point, anyway.

But I am fascinated with Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson of "Jane Eyre" 2006). I had a very good friend with similar characteristics as she; the writers, as well as the actress, portrayed Alice as if they knew my friend intimately. Of course, it is difficult to know the 'deviosity' of which such people are capable, especially when your affections are securely attached through years of shared experiences. As I watch Alice Morgan attempt to secure even the friendship of Luther, I think, "Oh, go ahead, trust her." And then, I remind myself that this character killed her parents! This goes to the depraved depth of the sociopath's personality and how they can manipulate us. Chilling! Great stuff… 

For anyone who holds an interest towards the Behavioral Sciences, and desires to watch something that will entertain, as well as appeal to that part of your brain, give "Luther" a shot, you won't be sorry.

Seasons : 1 2 3 4

Title	:	Luther
First Air Date	:	May 04, 2010
Last Air Date	:	Dec 22, 2015
Number of Episodes	:	17
Number of Seasons	:	4
Genres	:	Crime, Drama, Mystery
Networks	:	BBC One, BBC America
Casts	:	Idris Elba, Warren Brown, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Rose Leslie, Darren Boyd, Laura Haddock, Patrick Malahide
Alternative Titles	:	Luther BBC

Read more »

Crime, Drama, Mystery,

Rate it :