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It's on BBC2 here in the UK. I hope you can get it. Although I haven't read the book, the acting has been outstanding so I'm going to read it now!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zxc4d

I'll give it a while yet! You know I love Sopranos, but then I know what a Sean Bean fan you are so I'm thinking you may be a little biased!


I know you didn't want to bother with Treme cos you didn't like the jazz music, but I've been loving the music aspect. It's not all jazz stuff, which I'm not that into meself, but there's lots of soul and funk and the characters are an interesting lot.

How is Treme, Christine? I feel slightly embarrassed not having watched anything of it, as David Simon is a personal hero of mine.

I really liked it Brod. I've no idea how accurate it is to life in New Orleans but as a story about human relationships it's pretty good. I've read people complaining about the music sessions go on too long, but I thought that was part of its appeal , they form a part of the story and aren't just tacked in. It's not The Wire that's for sure, but I've watched all the first series so it's managed to pull me in week after week!

Shows you may have missed:

Breaking_In - 5/5

Christian Slater? Check! Nuff said, lets move on. This half-hour comedy is hilarious and fast paced, complete with your usual suspects of brains, brawn, hotties & losers all rounded out with Slater's arrogant charm. Hope the show takes hold and continues, though with Slater's track record, it'll be deep-sixed before the season's out. Too bad, cuz we like Slater.

Breakout Kings - 3.5/5

Good show, good premise, but you got the feel you've seen this show before with different actors. Great looking cast of hotties, and I will definitely keep watching, but I cant help feeling like the show is doomed to become a worn cliche (and then canceled) if it doesnt find its own niche or personality. Speaking of personality - if they dont get some serious movement on that, the show is seriously bland. The only character I really like at this point is the gambling professor who suffers from social tourettes. The show is more comedy than chills, and definitely a step up from Chase and its ilk. Do it. You'll be glad you did. -ish

Downton Abbey - 5/5

If you're a fan of the [old] English drama, you'll love this one. I have no idea how they managed to make it so quintessential, and yet so new, but they did. I love it that the mother Cora is an American, and they are so "out there" about the marriages. One of my friends told me there was a bit of a hubbub about airing it in America because I guess they felt average Americans wouldnt understand the concept of the entail? Seriously? Thats.....that's really insulting. We have probate here. I have a hard time believing the concept is that hard to grasp, even for the most uneducated. But I digress. I like the bachelor/heir's story, but given his actions, I find him boringly linear and without surprise. He wants the one thing he was told he couldnt have. Until it wanted him back. Yawn. As one of three sisters, Im most fascinated with the sibling rivalry, though I think the older sister Mary is a horrible person, and they mistakenly wrote the two younger sisters to be alarmingly one dimensional. LOVE LOVE LOVE the grandmothers. The fighing? Epic. Cue me up Season 2 please!

Lights out - 3/5

This show was apparently canceled, but of the few eps I saw, I thought it was well done. I abhor boxing, so that's saying a lot. The premise of the show was great though, with the old bruiser trying to get his sea legs back and save the family manse; the marital strife; the parental issues (up and down); and finally the sibling rivalry. Good stuff, if you're into that kind of thing.

Luther - 10/5

As if I needed any additional reasons to love Idris Alba, this my friends is another well done piece of BBC America tv. [They need no introduction tho - I think just about everyone knows they do excellent tv.] The only other thing I can compare this show to is Thief with Andre Braugher, though I admit I havent thought long and hard about that subject. The show though - it also has Ruth Wilson, who to her credit, does an outstanding job playing a genuius sociopath opposite Alba's brilliant copper. Given that I recently watched her play a disturbed lady in The Prisoner, I have to say that I think she does a consummate crazy. How she manages to make you like her (or..dear god...feel sorry for her) is still a mystery to me. Nothing need be said about Indira Verma, except that she apparently plays a great object of affection/passion, as can be seen in Human Target as well. I have no idea how she manages to pull it off, but that woman is a show stealer - I highly doubt she was supposed to make the show into a trio of stars, but she did, such that I honestly believe she eclipsed Ruth Wilson's sociopath. We are left to wonder whether that was done on purpose as a way to place Luther's largest threat on ice for S2, or was a simple oversight. I understand the show is slated for a second season for BBC Uk, but it's anyone's guess whether it will come to America (pun intended!). I have to say as well that the show's ending is a conundrum: either it always planned to come back in S2 and answer questions it left open, or it truly failed in S1 close all the holes. If there IS a season 2 - Im waiting to bated breath to see whether they can top S1, because I doubt they can with what they have left of the umbrella plot.

Nikita - 4/5

Not to be confused with the "La Femme" series of the late 90's/early 2000's. Im not sure who came up with the idea to have an Asian (or 1/2 asian) play Nikita, but...it works. I think of this show as a lighter, brighter, more family version of the dark, seedy La Femme of Peta Wilson's era. This is like Nikita gone all Alias on us. I confess I got sick of Peta Wilson's Nikita's on-again, off-again depressed love affair with "Michael" so I stopped watching the show before it ended. Therefore, I have no idea if in the finale of "La Femme" Peta's Nikita escaped. If so, then this re-imagining is actually a continuation of her storyline, albeit with a less blonde, less gravely-voiced, less-depressed (and depressing!) lead. Peta's Michael looked much hotter tho. And, this show has Nikita all motherly, like a conscientous do-gooder....who will kick butt and kill you if you cross her one of her cubs. Micheal, too, is become fatherly and ....well, caring, if you can believe that. It works.

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something witty goes here......

Is Downtown Abbey the US version or the UK one? I know it's a UK programme but, as your friend told you, the US broadcasters were going to cut out, at least, one storyline and then release the 'full UK version' on dvd. Just wondering which you were watching/had watched as, like you, I couldn't see why a US audience would have much trouble understanding what's going on.

I didn't watch it when it was over here, as it was an ITV drama (a phrase of doom which can only be topped by ITV comedy), but I then found out it was written by Jullien Fellows and realised I'd made a mistake. Had I known that from the outset, I'd have at least given it a chance. As you liked it, I'd recommend both the new and old versions of Upstairs, Downstairs, if you've not already seen it, as well as the brilliant 80's comedy (ITV comedy, no less) Brass.

I loved Luther and I'm pleased to see another fan around the place.

Nikita's OK, but it's something I watch on the turn while on the computer and there's no way I'd watch it if I couldn't record it and watch it at my lesuire. There again, apart from Neighbours, I don't know what I would watch if I couldn't record them.

Downtown is def worth the watch HK. Fellows on good form, Maggie Smith doing a class hatchet job as the haughty old Dame ('What is a Weekend'?), and all the unknown faces are good in fact. Loads of saucy behind-closed-doors shenanigans. Liked the hovering WW1-imminence setting too.

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Virtual Reality chatter on a movie site? Got endless amounts of it here. Reviews over here

I get the impression I saw the the cut version, because it was only a total of 7 hours, and they say the UK version was 9 hours. However, I did see the DVD version (a la Netflix), and Crawley arrives in Ep2, so according to PBS, that's the UK version. Who knows? I can remember watching Laura Linney speaking prior to the show (as often happens with PBS) and thinking she was getting on my nerves. But that's Masterpiece Theatre for you - they always feel the need to narrate everything, as if the viewers need a bit of handholding.

If Americans cant understand the entail, how in God's name did any of us comprehend the complex litigation of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce in Bleak House, much less how it affected the fate of the young orphan girl? But I'm off on a tangent. Anyway.

I had seen all the old Upstairs Downstairs, and was glad to hear that they redid that series - would you believe me if I told I had just que'd up in my Netflix a few nights ago? That one should be good.

When I was away I watched
Sopranos (Season 1)



Sopranos (Season 2)

Ah, I've been meaning to watch The Sopranos. It's next on my list.

Any Fans of the Highlander Tv Show? I found a wicked channel on youtube that has uploaded all the seasons 1-6

I'll post The pilot

&list=SL

channel for other episodes:

http://www.youtube.com/show?p=FmSWro-zwnI&s=1

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"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo.

Love the Highlander tv series. Seen them before, but they're being repeated over here atm. Currently halfway through seaon 3.

Started to catch up with Fringe. Upto episode 12 of season 3, atm. Also have the last couple of episodes of The Event to catch up with. Finished The Big C last week. I thought it was really good. Loved the last episode and looking forward to the next season.

Series I watched lately:

Californication (Season 4):

This used to be a solid comedy series with snappy dialogue, decent acting and laugh-out loud moments in every episodes. What it has watered down to nowadays is bad acting from supporting actors, extras that say 2 lines as a set-up to show their boobs (in every single episode) and a main story line so paper-thin I could have come up with it in a 1 hour brain storm session. This needs to be cancelled pronto before it gets any worse.

Modern Family (Season 1):

Excellent sitcom about 3 families. Every episode consists of three fullworthy story lines, one for each family, and a bag of one-liners. The acting is all around solid, with standouts being Ed O'Neill (AL BUNDY!), Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet. The mockumentary style of filming could be a turnoff, but in this case it's an extra source of humour. I hope the 2nd season remains as fresh and funny as the first.

How I Met Your Mother (season 6):

This series has been on the slide since season 4, but it's sliding faster and faster with every season. Episodes are becoming lamer and Barney can't salvage the lack of witty dialogue and consistent story lines throughout.

Glee (season 1):
Gossip Girl (season 4): (Yes I watch this with my girlfriend)
Spartacus Gods of the Arena: +

Started Watching the Awful Truth Michael Moores Short-lived TV show from 1999.



Clinton was in office then, so he wasn't considered a Demon at that time

&list=SL

Full Series can be found on Youtube here.

http://www.youtube.com/show/theawfultruth?s=1

Sopranos (Season 3)



Taking a few days before I watch Season 4 to watch Season 1 of the Walking Dead

I tried The Walking Dead, but it didn't thrill me. I also kept seeing "Egg" from "This Life" rather than Sherrif whateverhisnameis. I might give it another go sometime.

I like it but Season 1 is only 6 episodes which is really annoying. I have episode 5 and 6 to watch tonight then I guess I will be waiting till next year.

I've been watching early episodes of Community and Parks and Recreation these last couple of weeks. Both are pretty decent and at times really f-ing funny.

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Other than the silly news stories, this seemed the best place to put this.

Channel 4 to launch British Family Guy

http://beta.uk.news.yahoo.com/channe...120000213.html

As someone who doesn't think Family Guy is funny (which the exception of Stewie and the odd joke) I not excited about it or think its "blasphemy" or "won't work." I am looking forward to Dark Mirror, though. I liked Dead Set enough to be interested in taking a look at this and, as many of you will know, I love Charlie Brooker.

It seems that The Chicago Code, Human Target and Lie to Me, have all been axed.