(no subject)
Jun. 20th, 2008 12:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
williamjmI seem to tend to miss a lot of good TV shows when they are on. This is mainly because I very rarely watch TV randomly, if I switch the TV on it's usually because I already know what I'm going to watch. This has the disadvantage that I will often miss a lot of good TV shows unless the premise sounds interesting enough I watch it from the start or I happen to have it recommended to me. It doesn't help that I don't like jumping into shows half-way through so the recommendations would have to be quite early on in the show's broadcast. Therefore there are a lot of shows I'd probably love that I've never seen and some that I only see belatedly several years later on DVD.
"State of Play" which I just finished watching falls into the latter category. I can't remember why I didn't watch it when it was originally broadcast in 2003 but it probably didn't sound too fascinating from the original premise. Over the years I have heard quite a few recommendations about it so when I was in Fopp a few weeks ago I saw the DVD cheaply and ended up buying it (apparently I can't go into that shop without buying something). It's definitely one I regret not watching before. The basic storytelling is reasonably interesting and well-executed, it's a conspiracy thriller about a group of journalists lead by John Simms' reporter investigating the suspicious death of a young woman who was a researcher for an ambitious politician who was tipped to become a future senior member of the government, and was also having an affair with said politician. It's a fairly common sort of premise but it's a very well made show, the writing is intelligent, the characterisation interesting, there is some very good directing, some excellent acting (it has a great cast in Simms, David Morrisey, Kelly McDonald, James McAvoy, Marc Warren and Philip Glenister although the best is Bill Nighy's irascible newspaper editor), the story is compellingly told and it even comes to a satisfying ending. I also particularly like the way that the climatic revelation is delivered in a line of dialogue that initially seems completely unimportant. I'd definitely recommend it and I'm a bit sad they never made a second series of it - apparently the BBC wanted to but the writer wasn't satisfied with the plot he came up with and didn't think it could match the first series although Wikipedia claims it is possible there might be a belated sequel at some point.
Since it is a successful British TV show there is inevitably an American remake in the works, a film version with Russel Crowe, Ben Affleck and Helen Mirren replacing Simms, Morrissey and Nighy. I'll probably go and see it out of curiosity, but I suspect it won't end being as good as the original.
Anyone got any other recommendations for great TV shows I might have missed? It's probably not worth recommending any Science Fiction TV shows since I've probably already seen them, but I tend to miss a lot of other genres.
"State of Play" which I just finished watching falls into the latter category. I can't remember why I didn't watch it when it was originally broadcast in 2003 but it probably didn't sound too fascinating from the original premise. Over the years I have heard quite a few recommendations about it so when I was in Fopp a few weeks ago I saw the DVD cheaply and ended up buying it (apparently I can't go into that shop without buying something). It's definitely one I regret not watching before. The basic storytelling is reasonably interesting and well-executed, it's a conspiracy thriller about a group of journalists lead by John Simms' reporter investigating the suspicious death of a young woman who was a researcher for an ambitious politician who was tipped to become a future senior member of the government, and was also having an affair with said politician. It's a fairly common sort of premise but it's a very well made show, the writing is intelligent, the characterisation interesting, there is some very good directing, some excellent acting (it has a great cast in Simms, David Morrisey, Kelly McDonald, James McAvoy, Marc Warren and Philip Glenister although the best is Bill Nighy's irascible newspaper editor), the story is compellingly told and it even comes to a satisfying ending. I also particularly like the way that the climatic revelation is delivered in a line of dialogue that initially seems completely unimportant. I'd definitely recommend it and I'm a bit sad they never made a second series of it - apparently the BBC wanted to but the writer wasn't satisfied with the plot he came up with and didn't think it could match the first series although Wikipedia claims it is possible there might be a belated sequel at some point.
Since it is a successful British TV show there is inevitably an American remake in the works, a film version with Russel Crowe, Ben Affleck and Helen Mirren replacing Simms, Morrissey and Nighy. I'll probably go and see it out of curiosity, but I suspect it won't end being as good as the original.
Anyone got any other recommendations for great TV shows I might have missed? It's probably not worth recommending any Science Fiction TV shows since I've probably already seen them, but I tend to miss a lot of other genres.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 12:30 am (UTC)I only recognized Bill Nighy from the cast, whom I love a lot.
If they make an american version with Russell Crowe, I will probably see that one also, as he is one of those people that makes any movie more enjoyable, speaking for myself. And I like Helen Mirren, as well.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 07:47 pm (UTC)Have you seen Life On Mars? If so then you should know who Simms and Glenister are, if you haven't then I'd recommend watching that as well, it's one of my favourite shows of recent years (and another one about to be remade in America).
The remake does seem to have a good cast, even Affleck (who is not comparable to Crowe or Mirren) seems quite a good choice for that particular role.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 02:08 am (UTC)I also picked up the first two seasons of The Wire but have totally failed to watch them either :-)
Have you seen Ultraviolet (excellent 1998 C4 mini-series, not the godawful recent Milia Jovovich movie)? Well worth tracking down.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 07:49 pm (UTC)I have seen Ultraviolet (although again fairly belatedly), I agree it was a good show, pity they never made more than one season of it.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 07:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 10:52 am (UTC)Loads of HBO series - I highly recommend all five seasons of 'The Wire'. The miniseries 'From the Earth to the Moon' is outstanding and inspiring TV; each episode takes an aspect of the Apollo missions and tells a human drama around it. Likewise HBO's 'Band of Brothers' is very good and does much the same thing for World War II. Also the profane but poetic 'Deadwood' (particularly S1 and S3).
In terms of UK TV I agree that 'Ultraviolet' was fairly decent: it had some stunning set pieces and a lovely atmosphere, but the characters are somewhat unlikeable. It's worth a watch despite its faults.
Non-genre wise I really enjoyed 'The Crow Road' a few years back.
We finally caught up on 'I, Claudius' which is as excellent as everyone says, despite having that studio-bound stage-play quality of many older BBC productions. (HBO's 'Rome' is also worth a look although it's more in the mould of Deadwood-meets-Dynasty.)
We also saw 'Cracker' recently (for the first time) on DVD, which was excellent.
I quite enjoy 'Waking the Dead' which is in theory a mix of Cold Case and CSI but is so quirkily British, all characterisation and naturalistic dialogue, that it's quite different. It can be a bit grim and convoluted however.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 05:33 pm (UTC)12 years, you know. How time flies.
But yes, The Wire.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 06:06 pm (UTC)la la la I can't hear you