While on the subject of TV, just a few remarks about some of the regular shows I ran across over the weekend. I’m still enjoying Lost, although not as much as Tommy. I’m on Episode 11 so far and I’m still pretty interested in how things turn out, although I haven’t been tempted to skip ahead and download any more episodes yet.
My wife Vanora has started watching a couple of Supernatural drama shows, which have no doubt emerged due to the popularity of silly “supernaturality” shows like “Most Haunted”, (which, for anyone who’s not seen it involves Yvette Fielding, a medium and some camera men going around castles and train tunnels in the dark and screaming a bit before reviewing the non-footage of the nothing that actually happened).
Medium, which stars Patricia Arquette is a slick US show I’ve only seen bits of.
The UK version on ITV is called Afterlife and isn’t all that good.
It has some good stuff in it; the plots are ok, the direction is good and the casting is ok, but the writing is absolutely dire. Whether this is down to a lack of ability, which is doubtful or a condescending attitude because (lets face it,) it’s not written for the smartest audience in the world I don’t know, but the dialogue stinks to high heaven.
Plus it stars that annoyingly smarmy guy from Teachers and This Life Andrew Lincoln, who has to be one of the most mind-bogglingly awful actors ever to appear on screen.
That said, Afterlife is no-where near as bad as Class of ’76, a two part drama I had the misfortune of viewing through the week.
Starring Robert Carlisle as a hard bitten Glasgow detective with a shadowy past (are you yawning yet?) I expected the presence of a heavyweight actor to mean that this was worth a watch. Well, if you’re a hack writer with a shitty project and you need a name actor for your lead, then send it off to Carlisle’s agent ‘cos this guy's taking on any old rubbish.
This was irredeemable garbage of the highest order. A five year old could have given you the murderer without ever having to see the second part. The script was an abortion (honestly, the worst commissioned writing I have ever come across in terms of plot, character development and dialogue) and the direction made the whole thing look as if it was an art student’s c- final exam. If you’ve taped it, do yourself a favour and tape over it or better yet, burn it forever.
I thought Messiah – The Harrowing was trite by-number rubbish, but at least they followed the numbers and delivered something that could conceivably be described as a story. Class of ’76 was some of the worst TV I have ever seen; the fact that it was commissioned and broadcast is completely unbelievable.
I of course had to endure many hours over the weekend of Cbeebies, my daughter’s favourite channel. She is favouring The Fimbles, Big Cook, Little Cook and the Rubbadubbers at the moment, although for me it has to be The Tweenies.
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