S TV Series
Offers
Reviews
 |
Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1 (DVD)
by Mildew82 ==A brief history of Spartacus in 200 words or less== Spartacus was a Thracian dude (one of many Indo-European tribes inhabiting South-eastern Europe) born circa 109 BCE. He thought it'd be a good idea to fight as a Roman soldier but that backfired just a touch when he became enslaved alongside his wife before being sold to ... Lentulus Batiatus as a gladiator. Not at all happy, he alongside 70 or so other gladiators including two Gallic slaves Crixus and Oenomaus escaped daringly and set up base at Mount Vesuvius, successfully seeing off an ensuing Roman militia. Soon 70 became 70,000 as slaves flocked to join the rebellion and the army separated with Spartacus at the head of one half and Crixus the other. Rome was wetting their proverbial pants by now so got the richest man in Rome Marcus Licinius Crassus to come along and try to crush the rebellion. Sadly for Spartacus after many bloody battles during the Third Servile War Crassus achieved just that and Spartacus met his demise in 71 BCE and just to show what a heartless man he was Crassus crucified 6,000 rebels as punishment. I think that covers it. ==Spartacus: Blood and Sand== 2010 heralded a new epic tale of Spartacus when producer Sam Raimi and creator Steven S. DeKnight got together to produce 13 episodes at a little longer than usual of about 52 minutes each of the rather explosive "Spartacus: Blood and Sand". This is by far one of the most brutal shows I have ever seen and totally earns its 18 certification - it remains unflinching in its violent portrayal of Roman style depravity, betrayal, treachery, gratuitous violence, coarse language and explicit sex but in my opinion it is this ruthlessness that makes it utterly unmissable. ===Who's Who?=== Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) - Searching to save his wife from Roman slavery, Spartacus learns the hard way how to survive in the gladiator arena. The leading man and the heart of the show, Andy Whitfield was perfect for the role. Not only did he look the part as a handsome hunk, but he showed great versatility with the huge range of emotions Spartacus went through with many personal tragedies and on several occasions he genuinely brought me to tears with his expression of anguish. He handled everything thrown at him and was especially superb in the fight scenes and brought the character of Spartacus to life. Sadly Whitfield passed away from non-Hodgkin lymphoma on 11th September 2011 but a replacement for Spartacus in series 2 has been found so the show will go on. Crixus (Manu Bennett) - a fierce rival to Spartacus, Crixus takes an instant disliking to him and never stops letting Spartacus know which creates a constant source of spicy tension. But Crixus has his own problems with being the sex slave of Lucretia whilst pining away for Lucretia's slave Naevia (Lesley-Ann Brandt) and a lot of the show is devoted to his story. Bennett was another great selection - pretty much all brawn and no brains he was an excellent antagonist of Spartacus. Batiatus (John Hannah) - having a Roman with a Scottish accent aside, John Hannah was absolutely superb in the role of Batiatus - a man you just love to hate. Spending all of his time trying to bring the House of Batiatus back to its former glories he will resort to absolutely anything - ass-kissing, betrayal and even the odd spot of murder now and again. Hannah was brilliant at transforming himself from the suave and charming host to greedy and villainous murderer in 0.5 seconds flat. Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) - the wife of Batiatus, Lucretia is amazingly supportive in her husband's quest to restore them to former glory and she too will resort to pretty much anything and simply turns a blind eye to the more distasteful deeds of Batiatus. Lawless cuts a striking figure as Lucretia, and is utterly believable in her manipulations and is such a chameleon that you are actually never sure when she is genuine or not on account of Lawless' skills. Ashur (Nick Taraby) - the spy and general dogsbody for Batiatus, Ashur is as opportunistic and sleazy as they come - you wouldn't want him bearing a grudge against you. Taraby is brilliant in the role and does make your skin crawl on many an occasion. Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) - subtly lured into and seduced by the world of gladiators by Lucretia to be used as a political pawn. But she is a fairly unstable and dangerous character who likes her independence too much to be kept under the thumb for too long and Bianca is particularly good at portraying her barely hidden unhinged nature. Varro (Jai Courtney) - Spartacus' only friend in the gladiator school he pretty much acts as the voice of reason for Spartacus' crazy plans often to no avail. He certainly looks the part and adds a bit of lightness to the show. ===The Show=== Since this show is based on historical fact it is difficult not to spoil the plot as this show has clearly tried to stay as true to the facts of the original story as possible by making sure all the essential characters are present and that events unfold as they have been historically documented so in my efforts to remain spoiler free all I will say is the time period this show covers,(starting from Spartacus' enslavement and subsequent relocation to gladiatorial school) is open to rampant speculation and wild embellishment...in other words total fiction...but hey, if you want historical accuracy go and watch a documentary - this show is designed purely for entertainment value and the makers don't even try to hide it. Compared to the rest of the series I found the first episode a little disjointed, probably because the bulk of the scene setting was required in this episode so the pace was perhaps a little slow in places despite there being plenty of violent action, sex and bloodlust from the crazy Roman crowds. I wasn't particularly convinced by the special effects creating the gore for all the horrendous beheadings, amputations, impalements, mutilations and flying body parts as it all looked seriously over the top, but the fact it is a tiny bit laughable is actually a good thing as it makes it possible to watch all this senseless violence without feeling even remotely disturbed. There was also some seriously lewd language in usage (I was bored one day so I counted all the inappropriate words from the first episode, the worst of the lot being: the f-bomb (9); sh*t (6); whore (4); cu*t (3) ) I assume as a way to reinforce the notion that the Romans and Thracians of the time were rather debauched - certainly not a show suitable for delicate ears. There was also some very unnecessary and in your face nudity and sexcapades occurring no doubt for that very same reason (so this is not a show to watch with your parents). However, the cinematography of this show utilised some interesting effects with overall dark filters that created a somewhat gloomy atmosphere but with contradictory and startling vibrancy of focal things like dazzling skies and explosion of blood during fight scenes which does create an appealing dreamlike feel to it all. Slow motion is another technique used during the fight and other action scenes to really highlight the brutality which is effective during some of the more gruesome mutilations but I did feel was a little overused throughout the series. The score throughout the show also features prominently invoking orchestral undertones with often a tribal quality to it which bubbles away subtly during tense scenes and explodes to the forefront during the fight scenes. The whole production of the show feels slickly done and is thoroughly well made and even if it does feel slightly out of touch with reality it is very watchable. Thankfully after episode one, the show starts to find its groove even if it does become a bit formulaic with perhaps the excessive gore, gratuitous full frontal nudity (for both genders) at every possible opportunity as well as deliciously despicable treachery at every turn acting as a smokescreen for the slightly thin on the ground storylines (which pretty much revolved around whoever was most cunning in their treachery prevailing). But the story arc throughout the series and the character developments certainly makes up for this as it becomes more about Spartacus' journey plus with an endless supply of hot blooded gladiators with rippling muscles strutting their stuff for the girls and plenty of buxom young wenches for the boys every episode there's very little to complain about on the whole. By about episode 4 I got to the point where I simply couldn't wait for the next episode, and when the final episode arrived I didn't care that it was gone midnight on a school night - it just had to be watched which I think shows just how addictive this show gets and also how little I care about being awake at work. So, in essence what you're going to get from Spartacus: Blood and Sand is an action packed, no holds barred gore fest with a flagrant disregard for propriety and the exposure of human nature at its most treacherous and depraved that is also shamelessly addictive. If you can see past the adult content you will be in for a real treat even if it is all just mindless entertainment. Though to be honest, you wouldn't expect anything less from the ancient Romans - sex fiends the lot of them. I would thoroughly recommend this show with the caveat of never watching with your parents. ==The DVD== The DVD itself is very artistically done with slim-lined and neat packaging for the 4-disc collection, and the displays for each disc are excellent with the dramatic theme tune music playing on a loop and teasing scenes from the episodes playing in the background. Each episode is brought up with a dramatic crescendo followed by the sound of splashing blood and comes with a little synopsis plus the chance to play it with or without a recap or with audio commentary (which I can never see the point of) - a very nicely produced box set in my opinion. ===Extras=== There is quite a good array of bonus features on this DVD with the advantage that they are all short and sweet: * Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Behind the Scenes 15 minutes of the usual stuff - enthusiastic chats with the cast and crew and all the typical insights you can pick up about what the makers were looking for and the ways they go there, with looks at the technical and stunt side of things. It's short enough to hold your interest and there is quite a lot of interest here. * Spartacus: Battle Royale An 8 minute montage showing off some of the more dramatic fight scenes. A little burst of adrenaline if these sort of scenes float your boat, but there is nothing new here. * Gladiator Boot Camp 5 minutes of footage covering the month at Gladiator Boot Camp documenting how the actors got "ripped" to play the part of the gladiators, and learning all the moves and skills required to pull it off. It's fascinating to get the actors' views of what they went through. * Grime and Punishment 5 minutes of hilarious footage showing the preparation and disgusting discomfort Andy Whitfield and Jai Courtney went through for filming their punishment in one of the episodes by being dumped in the hole where general waste went. Well worth it for a chuckle. * Andy Gets Plastered 3 minutes of footage showing Andy Whitfield getting plaster casts of his arms, body and head made for such things as making scar maps for continuity. Some of it looked pretty unpleasant so just highlights the amount of work and commitment that goes into making such a show. * Legend Re-imagined 4 minutes of the producers Rob Tapert and Stephen S. DeKnight talking about how they took liberties with history to make the show as entertaining as possible - more interesting insights here. * Oh, Those Randy Romans 6 minutes of talking with the cast about the sexier side of the show and their thoughts starting with the outrageously bawdy nature of it all and then moving on to the love stories. Again more insights to be had if you're interested. * Shooting Green: The Shadow of Death 5 minutes of footage showing how effective using the green screen was to create much of Spartacus' world with a lot of interesting technical tricks. * Exposing your Ludus 5 minutes of footage of the actors just joshing about behind the scenes, plus some bloopers where things didn't go as planned - not laugh out loud but quite amusing. * Spartacus *Vengeance* Trailer The dramatic trailer for the season one DVD - it captures the spirit of the show nicely. Read the complete review |
 |
Shakespeare ReTold (DVD)
by ladybracknell A few years ago the BBC produced a short season of four of Shakespeare's plays retold for the modern age which were later released as a two CD set. Each play was written by a different author and all featured well known British actors from stage and screen. I'm guessing enjoyment of these plays will depend very much on whether you're a ... Shakespeare purist or not as they do stray somewhat from Will's original concept although to my mind they do still retain the essence of the plays. ~~Much Ado About Nothing~~ The series begins with my favourite of all Shakespeare's plays. The original Much Ado About Nothing manages to combine humour, romance and tragedy into a wonderful tale, although for modern day ears the language can be difficult to follow. This is definitely not the case with this reworked interpretation which retains and indeed amplifies in many ways, the essential elements of the play whilst making it thoroughly up to date. Written by David Nicholls, he of One Day and Starter for Ten fame, this is a cleverly reinterpreted adaptation of the original full of the same wit and sparkle. The action begins with a flashback to three years previously and Beatrice is preparing for a special date whilst we also see Benedick packing for a trip abroad. Events reach their unhappy conclusion when Beatrice, now sitting in eager anticipation in a posh restaurant, is dumped by text and a consolation bottle of champagne is delivered to the table. We're then brought back into the present day and Beatrice is preparing to go on air as co-presenter on Wessex Tonight, which gives the BBC the opportunity to poke some gentle fun at their own regional programming. Working alongside Beatrice on the sofa is Keith, an ageing has-been who can't keep his hands to himself; Hero the weather girl and Claude the sports reporter whose burgeoning romance will be at the centre of the play. Up in the production gallery is Don, the director who is losing his touch and though he doesn't know it yet, is about to also lose his job because Leonard, the boss of South West TV is having a staff reshuffle which will see Don moved sideways and a new director given his job. Meanwhile, Keith has heart attack in the studio and Leonard brings in a replacement who, much to Beatrice's fury, is none other than Benedick. So the scene is set for a thoroughly enjoyable look at love and hate and how close the one is to the other. Benedick and Beatrice continually bounce insults off each other but underneath all of his bluster and her waspish barbs, it's obvious to all who know them that these two were made for each other and their friends determine to see them reunited and begin their campaign at a fancy dress party being held at Leonard's home, by dropping hints in places where they know they'll be overheard that each loves the other. Hero and Claude's romance is also progressing more quickly than that of Benedick and Beatrice, and they soon set a wedding date. However, all is not well here because foolishly Hero had previously slept with Don because she felt sorry for him but this has resulted in Don becoming fixated on Hero and he sets about attempting to ruin the relationship. The casting of this play is superb and Damien Lewis as Benedick is excellent having just the right touch of arrogance and immaturity which doesn't detract from his eligibility and the chemistry between himself and Sarah Parrish as Beatrice is palpable. Sarah Parrish is no stranger to this sort of role and is a mistress of delivering the sharp retort and brittle repartee, especially when it's aimed at Benedick. 'You really do put the W into anchorman, don't you?' The ingénue roles of Hero and Claude are also well interpreted by Billie Piper and Tom Ellis but the standout performance is from Derek Riddle who imbues the character of Don with a horribly sinister creepiness. This is a man in the middle of a mental meltdown determined to ruin everybody else's life as well as his own. Anyone who has seen the original play will know that much of the in-your-face comedy comes from the character of Dogberry the constable who here has been transformed into Mr Berry, the commissionaire at South West TV, a pompous jobsworth who insists on seeing the ID of members of staff he's know for many years. It's only a small part but is very well realised by Anthony O'Donnell. This is a wonderful reworking of one of Shakespeare's best plays. David Nicholls has more than proved his writing credentials here and setting the scene in a local TV station is an inspired choice offering plenty of opportunity for gentle digs at regional TV. The casting is faultless and the whole event is a slick and brilliantly executed reinterpretation. ~~Macbeth~~ There aren't many laughs in either the original or this contemporary play but despite being transferred from medieval Scotland to a present day restaurant, Peter Moffatt's interpretation still manages to pack a punch with its retelling of this story of ambition, murder and guilt. Joe Macbeth (James MacAvoy) is the head chef at Duncan Docherty's Michelin starred restaurant where Joe's wife, Ella, is maitre d'. Following a night out with his friend and colleague, Billy, they encounter three binmen who make some strange prophecies including that the restaurant will not only gain another Michelin star but will ultimately belong to Joe. Billy is told that he won't gain anything from the restaurant but his sons will. The prophecies begin to come true almost immediately because when Joe and Billy return to the restaurant, Duncan tells them it's gained a third Michelin star but when he learns that Duncan plans to pass the restaurant on to his son, Malcom, egged on by his wife, Joe hatches a plot to murder Duncan and take possession of the restaurant. It's often said that behind every successful man there stands a woman and in Macbeth it's his wife. Essentially, Macbeth is a weak man open to the manipulation of his overly ambitious wife who hates to see him being slighted, as she sees it. She is really the driving force behind the plan to murder Duncan and it's doubtful if Macbeth would ever have taken things quite so far if he'd been acting alone. James MacAvoy was at the beginning of his career when he appeared in this play and was yet to secure roles in such blockbusters as The Last King of Scotland. He plays Joe Macbeth as a talented and egotistical chef who is well liked by his colleagues; a man with an overriding passion for food but whose relationship with his wife ultimately seals his downfall. Keeley Hawes turns in a superb performance as the rather scary Ella who quickly begins to manipulate Joe towards the act of murder. Speaking of his relationship with Duncan, she points out 'He milks you of everything you've got and pays you in charm and blarney' The bluff and likeable Duncan (Vincent Regan) signs his death warrant when he announces he's handing the restaurant to his son Malcolm (Toby Kebbell) but his friend and the restaurant head waiter, Peter MacDuff (Richard Armitage) become suspicious of Joe and Ella and his investigations, of course, lead to even more bloodshed. This is another clever reworking and I was surprised at how well this tragedy translates into a modern day setting. Of the four plays in the series, this is the only one without any lightness to the story and the filming matches this darkness with great use of low lighting and plenty of shadow. The way the writer interprets the prophecy of Macbeth's downfall happening when 'Birnham Wood comes to Dunsinane' as being 'when pigs fly' is very cleverly brought about. ~~The Taming of the Shrew~~ This is another favourite of mine and I already own the previous BBC production of the original play, starring John Cleese. This version has Rufus Sewell as the wonderfully eccentric Petruchio who brings not only humour but a good deal of sex appeal to the role and it's easy to understand how he managed to bring Katherine to heel. Katherine Minola is a successful politician who's tipped for the top job in Westminster but she has a temper which means that she's still single. Her party chairman, work colleagues and her family, don't escape Katherine's wrath. Katherine's sister, Bianca, is a successful actress managed by Harry who would dearly love to marry her and though Bianca is reluctant, she tells him she'll marry after Katherine does. When Harry's friend Petruchio, turns up at his flat, Harry takes him to Bianca's party and bets him £50 he won't marry Bianca's termagant of a sister. Petruchio's first meeting with Katherine (Shirley Henderson) takes place in a lift and it doesn't go well as far as Kate is concerned. I just bet Shakespeare wished he'd thought to pen Katherine's response to Petruchio's 'Kiss me, Kate' as 'Up yours, weirdo!' Shirley Henderson makes an excellently shrewish politician and though I found her rather childlike vocal range odd to begin with making some of her rages sound more like toddler tantrums, she did grow on me. The full horror of Petruchio's eccentricity becomes obvious from the moment he turns up to marry Kate, riding pillion on a motorcycle and dressed in the best traditions of an early Eddie Izzard in short kilt and high heeled boots, complete with heavy make up.. From then on mayhem ensues and poor Kate is dragged into the marriage from hell which she can either fight against or just give in and go with the flow. There is a much larger cast to this play including a small role for David Mitchell as Tim, Kate's parliamentary aide. Twiggy doesn't disgrace herself in the acting stakes either and turns in a good performance as Kate's rather trendy mother who doesn't quite get her eldest daughter (and who certainly isn't wearing Per Una in this production). Stephen Tompkinson takes on the role of the hapless Harry, agent to Bianca and friend of Petruchio and brings a certain amount of pathos to his role. Bianca never had any intention of marrying poor Harry and he's eager to take up the offer to fly out to Petruchio and Katherine's honeymoon villa rather than stay in London and watch Bianca make love to her latest toyboy. This is a wonderful interpretation of The Taming of the Shrew, written by Sally Wainwright, and one which keeps remarkably close to the original concept despite the difficulties of translating a story about such an unpleasantly vituperative woman into someone so deeply in love they undergo a personality change. The luscious Rufus Sewell is superb as Petruchio and is totally believable as the slightly batty aristocrat fallen on hard times. ~~Midsummer Night's Dream~~ The final play to get a twenty-first century makeover is perhaps the most difficult of all to update because of the paranormal elements and the rather convoluted plot, but Peter Bowker manages to pull it off with great aplomb. Theo and Polly have brought their daughter Hermia, to Dream Parks to celebrate her engagement to James Demetrius. Accompanying them is Hermia's cousin Helena who secretly loves James. As the family party gets underway, Xander turns up to declare his love for Hermia and things rapidly begin to go awry, especially when a pair of warring fairies and a magic potion are blended into the mix. Unlike the other three plays, this one has a narrator of sorts, Puck (Dean Lennox Kelly) who explains how the fairies in the forest which surrounds the holiday park (a place very similar to CentreParks) are responsible for ensuring marriages are happy. Unfortunately, Oberon and Titania (Lennie James and Sharon Small) are having marital difficulties of their own. Theo (Bill Patterson) and Polly (Imelda Staunton), as you'd expect, turn in great performances as the parents of Hermia, as a couple whose own marriage has hit a bit of a rocky patch. When Puck begins meddling in the love lives of the two young couples, however, things soon get out of hand. In the meantime, members of staff at the holiday park are planning to put on some special entertainment for the engagement celebrations and are rehearsing in the woods when Puck begins to play tricks with Bottom the security guard (Johnny Vegas) who is desperately trying to impress his colleagues with his Michael Caine impression but once Puck tweaks his appearance, he's left alone in the woods and when Titania wakes, just as in the original, she falls for him. When questioned by Oberon, Puck confesses that Titania 'has got some kind of weird animal vibe going' This was a wonderfully entertaining play with a cast, too numerous to mention them all, and there are some real laugh out loud moments mainly courtesy of Johnny Vegas who is actually a rather good actor. In fact the whole production is first rate and Dean Lennox Kelly in the guise of a scruffy looking Scouser makes a superb Puck, pulling together all of the disparate threads of this play into one. ~~Extras~~ There are a few special features on disc one including interviews with the writers and directors of the first two plays, all of whom pay homage to the original with some historical background added in. There are also filmographies for some of the major cast members, and lists of previous Shakespeare interpretations on film plus a picture gallery. There aren't any special features on disc two. In summary: This isn't the first time that Shakespeare plays have been reinterpreted into modern settings but I believe it's the first time that the actual text has been rewritten. Whether Shakespeare actually wrote the plays or not, he was a master of interpreting the human condition and psyche into everyday situations and that is exactly what these four playwrights have done, too. Taking the original material and reworking into something which strikes a chord with a modern audience whilst retaining the major elements of the plays. Everything about these plays is first class, with superb acting performances all round, well chosen incidental music and high production quality. Running time for both discs is a tad under 350 minutes. There are those who often criticise the BBC, especially about the high cost of the licence fee but here it's definitely been well spent. This is the sort of thing the BBC do supremely well. Had this idea been pitched to ITV or Sky, I doubt it would ever have been made as those companies always have to consider attracting huge audiences in order to raise advertising revenue. This 2 disc set is currently available online for approximately £4. You don't have to know or even like the original Shakespeare plays to enjoy these interpretations, and though there has been a certain amount of artistic licence taken by the playwrights in the main they've stayed true to the spirit of the originals and I suspect that Shakespeare would not have been too displeased with their efforts. Read the complete review |
 |
The Simpsons Series 10 (DVD)
by charby I've been a massive fan of 'The Simpsons' ever since I was a child and my enthusiasm for the programme hasn't waned since then. I think that some of the earlier series of this cartoon are some of the best made of any television show, but would also say that this high quality is somewhat lacking in the later series. I am very familiar ... with the episodes which come in the first eight or so series of the programme, as these were made in or before 1997 and so were the ones that were on TV when I was younger. New episodes are, however, still being made till this day, with series 22 currently unravelling on American television, but I know these episodes less and tend to not enjoy them as much. Often when I have caught an episode on Sky or wherever that was made this century I find it to be of an inferior quality to those made previously, as the characters seem to have become parodies of themselves rather than still being the well-developed creations they once were. I decided to step slightly out of my comfort zone recently, however, and try watching an entire series that I hadn't seen all the way through before. Not wanting to try one too late on and risk losing my faith in The Simpsons forever, I decided to watch Series 10, which was made in 1999 and so came not long after what I deem to be the golden age of the programme. In this review I will assume that you are familiar with The Simpsons as a TV programme, as it is one of the most successful and famous series of all time and it is unlikely that more than a couple of you won't have seen it at some point or another. == Series Ten == As this is a cartoon where none of the characters age and very few of the events of preceding episodes and series affect current episodes, the tenth series of The Simpsons is very similar to all that come before or after it. Homer is still an idiot who somehow manages to be highly functioning and have many exciting experiences; Lisa is still a very gifted child who feels ostracised by her intelligence and bored by the lack of intellectual stimulation in her family and town; Bart is still an underperforming ten-year-old child who gets attention by pulling pranks and being a general menace; Marge is still a housewife and mother who gets her occasional time to shine; Maggie is still a baby. All that really changes in this series is the plots of the individual episodes with little reference being made to events of previous series. === Episodes === Series Ten consists of 23 episodes, each of which has a duration of approximately 22 minutes. There are a lot of good episodes to be found in this series, such as 'Mom and Pop Art', in which Homer accidentally starts a career as an artist; 'Wild Barts Can't Be Broken', which sees a curfew unfairly imposed on Springfield's children; 'Lisa Gets an "A"', where Lisa fails to study for a test after being ill; and 'Lard of the Dance', where a new, popular girl joins Lisa's class at Springfield Elementary School. I have to say that I did skip one of the episodes in this series, 'Simpsons Bible Stories', as I have caught parts of this episode before and not enjoyed it at all. I have found a few episodes in earlier series of The Simpsons to be a bit too Christian and bordering on preachy, which irked me quite a bit as not all its viewers are Christians or appreciate this message. A lot of it is very tongue in cheek, and the overtly religious neighbour Flanders is poked fun at on many occasions, but I still find that The Simpsons often portrays Christian views as being 'correct'. In any case, I find this episode to be a bit much for a none religious viewer as well as not being particularly entertaining, and so I passed it by when watching this series. 'When You Dish Upon a Star' was also a weak episode, in my opinion. It features a couple of celebrity guest stars (Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, to be specific) for no particular reason, and I found Homer's character to not be fitting with that of previous series. Is this a sign of poor judgement and episodes to come or just one isolated weak link? == Overall Opinion == Despite this being a couple of series after my favourite age of The Simpsons, I found myself greatly enjoying Series Ten. There were some great episodes and it didn't feel at all as though the characters had become parodies of themselves. Of course, this series lies in the first half of those made so far, and so is still likely to be much better than those that follow it, but it has also inspired me to give later episodes a go. I'm currently making my way through Series 11 at a fairly speedy pace (I have a mild form of the flu so am spending a lot of time in bed watching TV) and have to say that I'm enjoying that as well. While given the choice I would still rather watch earlier episodes of The Simpsons, it is nice to be able to watch ones that I haven't seen many times before, which are still good quality. I'm sure that as I advance further through the series I'll start to notice the standard dip somewhat, but that's when I'll stop watching. All in all, this is a good series, and considering that it contains 23 episodes it is a well-priced DVD at a cost of £11.99 (amazon.co.uk). While I would still recommend earlier series (such as Series Five, which costs even less at £9.99), this is nevertheless a great series and a great DVD which I will award a high rating to. Here's hoping that there are still a few good series left for me to watch before the quality drops too much! Read the complete review |
S TV Series |
||
|---|---|---|
|
2 reviews TV Series / Genre: Television - Stargate SG-1 - A gradual shift in overall style, character homecomings and departures, and evolving on and off-screen roles for the major players are among the attractions of the complete seventh season of Stargate SG-1. Spread out over five discs, these 21 episodes ar... |
|
|
2 reviews TV Series / Genre: Television - Stargate SG-1 - The biggest change for Stargate's sixth season was its move to the Sci-Fi Channel. Financial rescue or genre haven from cancellation? Whatever the behind-the-scenes politics, the departure of Daniel Jackson (actor Michael Shanks) the previous year most c... |
|
|
2 reviews TV Series / Genre: Television - Stargate SG-1 - Most shows go through a run-around, skin-of-their-teeth period awaiting renewal and it certainly seems to have affected storylines this year. For example, a next generation of younger SG teams is introduced. Replacements? The most unfortunate aspect of t... |
|
|
5 reviews TV Series / Genre: Television - Stargate SG-1 - The success of the first year meant that Stargate SG-1's second series could afford to spread its wings. In only the second episode, Carter is temporarily possessed by a good Goa'uld. This immediately allowed for both any amount of quick fix inside knowl... |
|
|
12 reviews Genre: Television - Stargate SG-1 / TV Series / Theatrical Release: 1997 - In 1997 not every new show was obsessed with securing a syndication-guaranteed franchise (same goes for Buffy debuting the same year), instead one-off episodes were the way of things, exploring interesting scenarios and conundr... |
|
|
1 review Genre: Television - The Scarlet Pimpernel / TV Series / DVD released 11 December, 2006 at Pinnacle Vision / Features of the DVD: Box set, PAL |
|
|
3 reviews Genre: Television - South Park / TV Series / Theatrical Release: 1997 / Director: Matt Stone / DVD released 18 September, 2000 at Warner Vision International / Features of the DVD: Animated, Full Screen, PAL |
|
|
4 reviews Genre: Television - South Park / TV Series / Theatrical Release: 1997 / Director: Matt Stone / DVD released 18 September, 2000 at Warner Vision International / Features of the DVD: Animated, Full Screen, PAL |
|
|
3 reviews Genre: Television - South Park / TV Series / Theatrical Release: 1997 / Director: Matt Stone / DVD released 18 September, 2000 at Warner Vision International / Features of the DVD: Animated, Full Screen, PAL |
|
|
3 reviews Genre: Television - South Park / TV Series / Theatrical Release: 1997 / Director: Matt Stone / DVD released 18 September, 2000 at Warner Vision International / Features of the DVD: Animated, Full Screen, PAL |
|
| S TV Series Recommendations 1 ... 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ... back next | ||
| dooyoo Results 61 - 70 of 436 | ||
