I’m still not 100% sure exactly how the Pilot Light TV festival works. Apparently, it’s on season 4 now, but although that’s scheduled for next year, we’ve already got some events linked up for the very near future. Postponed from August but now to be held on Sunday 14 October at 5:30pm at Gorilla in Manchester is a retrospective of Eerie Indiana featuring a Skype call with cast member Justin Shenkarow.
Created by Oscar nominated writer Jose Rivera & Mark Shaefer and directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins); Eerie Indiana follows Marshall Teller, a teenager from New Jersey who has just moved to the town of the same name as he investigates the weirdness lurking under the facade of a totally normal suburban town. Regularly billed as the ‘Twin Peaks of Family TV’, Eerie Indiana was filled with Twilight Zone-esque mysteries that it’s protagonists investigate week by week, essentially being a version of the X-Files, before Mulder & Scully were even thought of, according to Den of Geek.
Join us at Gorilla for a very special selection of episodes from the first series, plus two exclusive live Skype Q&As with the show’s Oscar nominated creator Jose Rivera, and actor Justin Shenkarow.
You can book tickets for the princely sum of £13.20. Enjoy!
In Australia: Mondays, 8.30pm AEST, Showcase
In the UK: Not yet acquired
You’ve got to admire Showcase’s guts in launching a new drama not only written by but starring a complete newcomer to TV acting and writing. Yet it’s a brave decision that’s paid off magnificently with Mr InBetween, which sees Scott Ryan playing a nightclub bouncer who also moonlights as an enforcer and hitman for Damon Herriman.
Despite being billed as a black comedy, the first episode was more a drama with a hint of comedy – a character piece without jokes, just amusing yet plausible situations, as we see Ryan’s constantly smiling killer alternate between day job and personal life, throwing people off walls and getting tongue-tied when a girl likes him. Ryan, who was himself odd-jobbing as a pizza delivery man and taxi driver when the show got the green-light, is impressively naturalistic and convincing, the kind of bloke you’d have jokes with down the pub, yet always be a bit wary of because of his constant smile.
Episode two is an even darker affair than the first episode, with Ryan going on a revenge mission against the guys who hurt his mate – or the guys he’s told did it, anyway, and we see what happens when Ryan accidentally kills the wrong the person. Yet buried in the middle of the episode is a downright hilarious conversation between Ryan and his daughter, in which he disabuses her of the notion that there is a Santa Claus (“To be honest, I don’t even know how he and Jesus are related”), before spinning her a long yarn about the time he met a real-life unicorn (“It winked at me.”).
Episode three, meanwhile, explores Ryan’s character as he goes to court-mandated anger management, where he picks a fight with a wife abuser, declaring himself a cut above the low-life’s he’s with – he regards himself as doing a public service. But it’s also a bit more darkly comedic, as he has to deal with a fight between his mate and his Russian brother-in-law, who has decided to rob him.
Mr InBetween
The first three episodes of Mr InBetween have all been consistently excellent. The half-hour runtime means each episode is tightly focused with zero flab, yet still manages to allow for characterisation and character development. The show never makes Ryan’s profession ridiculous, but takes both him and it deadly seriously, even if he does occasionally like a laugh and wind up in some odd – but not too odd – situations thanks to his mates.
Every Friday, TMINE lets you know when the latest TV shows from around the world will air in the UK
After last week’s dismal showing, this week is chock full of exciting new dates, as well as acquisitions. New US comics-based service DC Universe’s first show, Titans (aka the adventures of Robin, without Batman, and his band of merry men and women), has already been picked up by Netflix (UK), although there’s no air date as of yet.
A gender-swapped, race-swapped Uncle Buck that sees It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia‘s Kaitlin Olson playing the white trash grifter sister to a billionaire’s wife who gets lumbered with looking after the kids when the rich couple go on the run following fraud investigations. If she sticks around, she gets to enjoy the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But she’ll also have to deal with the bitchy neighbours, the bitchy daughter and the entitled son.
The show’s created by John Chernin and Dave Chernin, the creators of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, so you shouldn’t be too surprised to hear that it’s funnier than you might think, more accurate about being poor than you might think and also based around people being mean too one another verbally and physically in order to get one up on everyone else. Olson’s very good as the Mick(ey) of the title and everyone is marvellously bitchy, too.
But that wasn’t my cup of tea, so I gave up after an episode; everyone else gave up pretty quickly, too, so it was promptly cancelled.
Based on an event in the life of none other than Harry Styles (who is exec producer of the show), Happy Together sees happily married accountant Damon Wayans Jr and shop designer Amber Stevens West in something of an unexciting rut. They still love each other, but they’re getting older and settling into a routine. Dancing, nights out, romance et al have been replaced by the familiarity of Netflix boxsets. Then one of Wayans’ clients, hugely famous pop star Felix Mallard, shows up on their doorstep after a very public break-up, and he wants to lay low. Could they put him up for a while? Before you know it, the couple are being shaken out of their routine and doing all the things that (clean-living) young, A-list stars get up to. Can they keep up and will they change him or vice versa?
Surprisingly good and genial for a CBS multi-camera sitcom, I did actually quite enjoy this, but with only one episode having aired so far, I can’t tell you whether this is a keeper or not.
Remake of both the ‘classic’ Robert Redford movie Three Days of the Condor, as well as the book on which it was based, this sees lowly CIA analyst Max Irons go on the run when everyone in his office is killed, possibly due to something he discovered. Who behind it all, what’s their motivation and will anyone care if Irons finds out and reveals everything?
Co-starring William Hurt and Mira Sorvino, it’s actually a pretty decent show that has a lot in common with Rubiconand Homeland, and actually does a better job with its themes than the similar Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. It’s a bit less exciting and clever than it really needs to be, and it’s hobbled by its source material into having a weak ending, but a good watch, nevertheless. Plus Brendan Fraser is bonkersly off-kilter with the whole show, which is delightful to watch.
Beat (Amazon)
Premiere date: Friday, November 9 (via)
Amazon’s latest German-language original tells the story of Robert Schlag, called Beat, a 28 year old Berlin club promoter who is addicted to Berlin’s nightlife including drugs and sex (with men and women). Beat works for Berlin’s most known techno club Sonar, which is owned by his best friend Paul. Given Beat’s connections with the club scene he gets into the focus of the European Security Intelligence (ESI) as they need help while investigating the clubs. The main suspect is Philipp Vossberg, the new co-owner of the Sonar. He is a smart and handsome but ruthless guy who sells human organs and uses the club to cover his dirty deals. Emilia (working for the ESI) partners with Beat on his dangerous journey through organ trafficking and arms trades, all in front of the backdrop of Berlin’s party scene.
Baby (Netflix)
Premiere date: Friday, November 30 [via]
Inspired by a true story, this Italian Netflix original follows a group of Roman teenagers as they defy society in their search for identity and independence.
1983 (Netflix)
Premiere date: Friday, November 30 [via]
Polish Netflix Original: The deeply frozen Cold War is heating up. Twenty years after a devastating terrorist attack in 1983 that halted the course of Poland’s liberation and the subsequent downfall of the Soviet Union, an idealistic law student and a disgraced police investigator stumble upon a conspiracy that has kept the Iron Curtain standing and Poland living under a repressive police state.
Now, in 2003, after two decades of peace and prosperity, the leaders of the regime enact a secret plan made with an unlikely adversary in the 1980s that will radically transform Poland and affect the lives of every citizen in the nation — and the world. What these two men discover has the potential to ignite a revolution and those in power will stop at nothing to keep it a secret.
Diablero (Netflix)
Premiere date: Friday, December 21 [via]
Angels have left, evil has arrived to Mexico City and its citizens have become vulnerable to demons. Now, who will save them? Diablero, evil is coming to Netflix on December 21st.
