Reviews for Torchwood, Robin Hood, et al are in

23 October 2006 Rob Buckley 4 Comments

Reviews of various programmes that I’ve been blogging about recently (bar Prime Suspect, which I’ll be blogging about once I’ve watched the second episode).

Torchwood, BBC3

“Unless it improves quickly, even they [the fans] might start to notice that this really isn’t Doctor Who for adults, as promised. Instead, it’s Doctor Who with added sex and swearing – which isn’t the same thing at all.”

James Walton, The Daily Telegraph

Torchwood, BBC3

“This looks promising: it’s slick, quick and a tiny bit scary.”

Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

Simon Schama’s Power of Art, BBC2

“They’d spent some money on costumes and stick-on beards, but the sets were empty and the acting was of the declamatory sort.”

Phil Hogan, The Observer

Simon Schama’s Power of Art, BBC2

“There is just enough substance in the programme to leave you feeling spiritually nourished.”

Hermione Eyre, The Independent on Sunday

Simon Schama’s Power of Art, BBC2

“The point of these authored, visually clotted documentaries is really to be infomercials for instant coffee table tomes.”

AA Gill, The Sunday Times

Prime Suspect, ITV1

“Despite the occasional wobble along the way, both Tennison and the programme had remained true to their ideals by resisting the pressure to go out with a melodramatic bang.”

James Walton, The Daily Telegraph

Prime Suspect, ITV1

“The first episode of Prime Suspect was about as good as television ever gets.”

AA Gill, The Sunday Times

Lead Balloon, BBC4

“Lead Balloon is well worth watching. It is a delectable comedy of everyday embarrassment, and as such feels exquisitely British.”

Hermione Eyre, The Independent on Sunday

Robin Hood, BBC1

“Correction: in a review earlier this month, I may have implied that Robin Hood was quite good. Having now sat through three hours of dialogue as clunky as a 1970s seat belt, it’s perfectly clear that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Apologies all round.”

Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

Review: Torchwood 1×1-1×2

23 October 2006 Rob Buckley 7 Comments

Torchwood

In the UK: Sundays, 10pm, BBC3. Then repeated on BBC2 on Wednesdays at 9pm and every cowing day of the week on BBC3.

In the US: Might be a bit too wild for the SciFi channel, but could potentially go out on BBC America or something else “open to experimentation”

So here it is. The first full-blown spin-off from Doctor Who. Like Bod, it’s been ambling amiably towards us for the best part of a year, with frequent references to it throughout the second series of Who. Now it’s arrived, has it been worth the wait?

Yes. I think.

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Third-episode verdict: Robin Hood

23 October 2006 Rob Buckley Post a comment

Robin Hood

So there was much debate about the first episode of Robin Hood. Just too silly and naff for words? All round, good fun, family entertainment? Bloodless tripe? The jury was out, but the third episode has aired and they’re now ready to pass verdict.

It’s definitely improved. I’ll give it that much. It’s certainly on a par now with the worse episodes of the Jason Connery season of Robin of Sherwood. The heavy-handed political references have died away now the show’s creators have handed writing chores over to people like Paul Cornell. Marian’s got herself something to do. The whole question of whether Robin is actually capable of killing anyone on primetime TV has been answered (he can, but not frequently). So definite improvements all round.

But it’s all very generic. Jonas Armstrong has the charisma of plankton. None of the other members of Robin Hood’s gang has had a second of characterisation or good dialogue between them. And Robin and co have not yet experienced any real dangers: breaking into Sherwood Castle is seemingly about as tricky as turning up at reception and signing in for a visitor’s badge; being hunted by dogs, something that put paid to Robin of Sherwood number one, only resulted in the loss of the gang’s larder.

So for adults, by this third episode, ‘Bobbins Hood’ is probably about right. I think if you’re a kid, this might be relatively enjoyable stuff. But 20 years from now, no one’s going to be fondly remembering it as classic television, I don’t think.

Review: Man to Man with Dean Learner

23 October 2006 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

Man to Man with Dean Lerner

In the UK: Fridays, Channel 4, 11.10pm

In the US: I don’t think so

Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place has been undergoing a revival of late for no adequately explored reason. The SciFi Channel in the US picked it up in July; it’s just come out on DVD. I don’t understand why. It’s not funny.

Okay. Let’s qualify that. Garth Marenghi, a composite of horror writers like Stephen King and Shaun Huston, is funny. The show wasn’t.

Now, from the same writers, comes Man to Man with Dean Learner. And, oh wait, the same characters.

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Review: Simon Schama’s Power of Art

23 October 2006 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

Simon Schama's Power of Art

In the UK: Fridays, 9pm, BBC2, 9pm. Repeated Fridays, BBC1, 1.40am

In the US: Nowhere yet

There’s a certain quality of being thrown in the deep-end with Simon Schama’s Power of Art. Unless you look at the web site, you’ll be at a loss to know what the point of the show actually is. There’s no introduction, no explanation, just Simon Schama bleating on about Caravaggio from the word go. I thought I’d missed an episode at first. But no. We’re here to watch Simon Schama and it’s about art: that’s all we need to know apparently.

The actual explanation for the show, “This is not a series about things that hang on walls, it is not about decor or prettiness. It is a series about the force, the need, the passion of art… the power of art,” makes approximately no sense whatsoever. Instead, it’s best to think of the show as “Art: The Rock and Roll Years”, a series about ‘interesting’ artists and their lives. On the schedule: Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso and Rothko. And, so far, it’s pretty good.

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