Reviews

An incredibly brilliant television series that explores the idea of what happens when a serial killer in 2006 kidnaps police officer, DCI Sam Tyler's partner, and in trying to rescue her, Tyler is hit by a car waking up in 1973. The question becoming one of whether Tyler is either at the hospital in a coma or has actually traveled thirty-three years into the past, and really is in the early Seventies. In which the series creators/writers have stated that it's up to the audience to decide for themselves what is happening. Think "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000) meets "Starsky & Hutch" (1975) and that's just a hint at the cultural clash found here exploring the differences between the way police work was done then (in the 1970s) to the way it's done now.

Returning to his precinct (albeit in 1973), Tyler is assigned to the same serial killer case he had been working on in 2006, with his partner's life still hanging in the balance. Throughout the run of the series Tyler has to deal with a narrow-minded boss who thinks treating witnesses as suspects is the only way to get information from them and audio-taping interviews with suspects is waste of time, thick-as-a-brick co-workers who think Tyler needs to go back to the Academy and learn how to perform some real police work, and some of England's dumbest criminals. At the same time trying to protect his mother and the boy he used to be from a corrupt landlord and save the father who was absent during much of Tyler's childhood. With his only friend being PC Annie Cartwright who is the only person to know that Tyler doesn't belong in 1973, and also being the one person unable to do anything about it.

I find this one such a pleasure to watch that I'm eagerly waiting to see the second series run and what happens next.

As based upon the stories of P.G. Wodehouse, the series follows the misadventures of Bertram Wooster and his valet, Jeeves through both England and New York City of the 1920s. In which, the series was produced amid as much the same type of scandal that Tim Burton's Batman (1989) enjoyed following in the footsteps of the original "Batman" (1966) television series as the British public could not believe these two clowns Stephen (Jeeves) Fry and Hugh (Wooster) Laurie from "A Bit of Fry & Laurie" (1986) would be remaking such a wonderful old series as "the World of Wooster" (1965).

The original stories by Wodehouse being where the decidedly American tradition of referring to a butler (any butler) as "Jeeves" originates … it is absolutely wonderful to watch the idle rich rapscallion Bertram "Bertie" Wooster as he lurches from one crisis to the next leaving his faithful valet (gentleman's gentleman), Jeeves to bail him out of trouble. Comprising a terrific ensemble cast of characters that make up Bertie's friends, associates, and varied love interests … the two characters to watch out for are Bertie's aunt, Agatha, who believes that Bertie needs to settle down, get married, and act more mature and responsibly in general; along with (my personal favourite) the high-pitched Madeline with whom Bertie has an on-again-off-again engagement.

This on-again-off-again engagement going back to an actual British Law stating that once a man (Bertie Wooster) proposes to a woman (Madeline), and she accepts, they are bound by an verbal contract. Insomuch, if Bertie tries to get out of the engagement by telling Madeline he doesn't want to marry her… she has every right under the law to sue for "breach of contract." Only Madeline can break the contract, as is the woman's right. In which it is a delightful comic romp seeing just how Jeeves continually gets Bertie out of trouble.

An extremely magnificent newsroom comedy featuring a terrific ensemble cast brought together long before David Brent was in charge of "the Office" (2001) came long. As poor deluded Gus has to preside over a motley crew of colleagues made great (I think) by Sally's shallowness, Joy's cynicism, and Henry's crusty old-fashioned attitudes. The brainchild of comedy writers Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkins, the series was created at a time when Margaret Thatcher was on her way out as the Prime Minister, and John Major (the Grey Man) was on his way in. As the time was right for launching a topical newsroom satire series which is why the episodes might appear as being dated since the scripts were always written at the last minute to include bits of real news stories.

All in all … a fantastic caper of good fun making light of those in the news, picking up several comedy awards in the process. One series that we are much better off for having.

An incredibly lavish update of the Classic "Doctor Who" (1963) series, the Doctor returns in his antique "Type 40" TARDIS shaped like an old English Police Box. Where it is through Rose Tyler serving as the introduction to the series that we know what Rose knows, and is therefore not necessary to have any experience with the original series to enjoy this one. Unfortunately, with this new series chronicling the Doctor's adventures there is no regeneration scene from the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) to the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) that had the effect of angering many of the show's fans.

At the same time, the "Father's Day" episode not only references Britain's Best Sitcom, "Only Fools and Horses" (1981) when Rose accuses her father of being "a bit of a Del-Boy" referring to Derrick "Del-Boy" Trotter, but also the TV series, "Minder" (1979) as well when Rose's father makes a reference to his wife Jackie as "her indoors." This being the oft-used phrase that Arthur would make when mentioning his never seen wife in "Minder". While returning favorites to the first season include the Autons marking only their third appearance in the series' full run (the first appearance being "Spearhead from Space" which was Jon Pertwee's first storyline, and their second appearance in "Terror of the Autons" also marking the first appearance of the Master), U.N.I.T. (but without a Brigadier, instead being lead by the Prime Minister, so to speak), along with the Daleks.

In which, I was a little surprised to discover that the United Nations in New York City actually complained upon hearing that U.N.I.T. stands for the "United Nations Intelligence Taskforce" given their long standing run throughout the Classic "Doctor Who" (1963) series. Although it came as no surprise upon hearing that "the Daleks always could fly, it's just that the BBC never had the budget for them to do so in the original series." With my absolute favourite episode thus far being "the Unearthly Child," it is almost solely because of Capt. Jack Harkness that I am looking forward to seeing the spin-off series, "Torchwood" (2006) while also very eagerly looking forward to an exciting second series of "Doctor Who" (2005).

Billed by as a "sleek, action thriller," this movie is ablaze in true Hollywood fashion with numerous rounds of bullets flying everywhere, but never hitting anything. For myself, this was a fantastic film with its "Matrix"-style fight scenes kept to a bare minimum. With its special effects in general being toned down, the story of newly turned Lycanthrope, Michael (Scott Speedman), and Vampire Warrior, Selene the Death Dealer (Kate Beckinsale), shines through beautifully. With both the Vampires (aristocratic nobles) and the Lycans (street thugs) at war for centuries, it's said early on that the Lycans had stolen an "ultraviolet bullet" from a government group. While never actually stated in the movie, that government group would be the C.I.B. from the six episode British television series "Ultraviolet" (1998). On a somewhat related note, I have noticed here that Kate Beckinsale sports a hairstyle that gives her a striking resemblance to her late father, Richard Beckinsale of both "Porridge" (1973) and "Rising Damp" (1974) fame. I still remember our Assistant Manager coming to work after seeing this stating that she wanted to be like Selene when she grows up, and that was a good enough recommendation for me to see this one that I enjoyed thoroughly.