Having only recently watched Pretty Little Liars, I am already enthralled and cannot wait to find out just who is really behind the mysterious murder of Alison Delaurentiis. Adapted from the series of novels by Sara Shepard, Pretty Little Liars is proving just as successful on the screen as on paper.
So, The Apprentice is over for another year. Sigh. The winner was announced on Sunday evening as Ricky Martin, beating favourites Tom, Nick and Jade to the post, as business plans were both championed and ripped apart. Interviews have always been my favourite stage of the show. Claude never disappoints when it comes to giving some cocky candidates a much-needed put down. Margaret, too, puts in a comedic performance, eyebrows ever-aloft as she looks in astonishment at the sometimes deluded, sometimes arrogant candidates in front of her. Strangely enough, most of this year’s raised eyebrows and put-downs were aimed at 2012 winner, Ricky Martin, his application suggesting he was some kind of God, and that he would teach an old dog (i.e. Alan Sugar) new tricks. However, what saved him from their scorn was a surprisingly good, simple, and comprehensive business plan, namely a recruitment agency for Science-specific job searchers.
What has become increasinly evident since the show’s format change, looking for a business partner rather than an employee/apprentice, is that the winner is not based on performance throughout the show, but on the business plan. It begs the question: What’s the point in all those weeks of tasks when, in reality, all that you need to win is a good business proposition that appeals to Lord Sugar? Jade is a prime example, a favourite to win, well-liked, good performance throughout the show, but fired because her business plan was essentially a call centre, something which Lord Sugar was not willing to risk his repute on. The same happened last year. Helen, winner in all tasks but one, strong candidate on all measures, lost out to Tom because her secretarial business plan did not appeal.
Of course, from an entertainment and televisual perspective, the tasks are a great way of getting to know the candidates, see their journey and how they progress throughout the show. However, when this does nothing to add to the final outcome, to who eventually gets to hear the words “You’re hired”, is the inclusion of those tasks, that journey, somewhat problematic and futile? Does it not undermine the entire premise of the show?
Now, I love The Apprentice as much as the next person. However, I can’t help but feel its magic could eventually be lost as audiences become disillusioned and disinterested in a show’s winner being based on a singular episode rather than an entire series.
From the moment E4 started promoting new drama, Revenge, I knew there was something about this show that would keep me enthralled from start to finish. And so it has. 22 episodes in 3 days. I was definitely addicted. It centres around 20-something Emily Thorne, a newcomer (or so she would have us believe) to the Hamptons who has some deep secrets she must uncover if she is ever to clear her father’s name. Arrested for funding acts of terrorism, Emily’s father was framed for a crime he did not commit, resulting in his murder in prison. And the real perpetrators of the crime? The rich and powerful Grayson family.
After a flash-forward to Emily and Daniel’s engagement party, it soon becomes clear that Emily is not who she says she is, as we are taken back to the institution from which she was released. Then known as Amanda Clarke, Emily has no idea of her father’s innocence until friend of her father, Nolan Ross, gives her a box with all she needs to know in order to avenge her father’s death. And so, the plot begins…
From the moment you start watching Revenge you will be hooked, a factor sustained by a host of ‘Who dunnit” plot lines, the on-going question of whether Emily will avenge her father and how she will do it, and romantic entanglements.
One of my favourite shows this year, I cannot wait until season 2!
Tomorrow marks the penultimate episode of Smash, a drama following the making of a brand new musical show based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. There have been tears, tantrums, sex, impromptu musical numbers, family break-ups and tense rivalry throughout the season’s thirteen episodes, and I expect even more explosive drama in the final episode come 14th May.
Produced by Steven Spielberg, and boasting a terrific cast including Jack Davenport, Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing, and (making a guest appearance) Uma Therman, Smash! has all the ingredients to make a truly fantastic show. However, with its many sub-plots including the somewhat laborious family break-up/infidelity storyline involving Debra Messing’s character, Julia, Smash has not quite lived up to expectations. Many have compared the musical drama to Glee, asking “Is Smash Glee for grown-ups?” It is unquestionable that there are similarities between the two - they both feature singing and dancing, they are both musical dramas - but, for me, that is where the comparison ends. Whereas Glee is fast-paced and funny, Smash takes itself a bit too seriously, and its many sub-plots and slow-paced editing make it a show not quite hitting the mark.
However, there must be a reason I’ve kept with it this long. And, I can put that down to the question on everybody’s lips: Who is going to get the part of Marilyn? So far, we have had three likely candidates: Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee), Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), and movie star, Rebecca Duvall (Uma Therman). It’s a battle of fresh talent versus experience versus fame, a scenario not often played out on screen, but one that is common in the theatre world. A movie star in a lead role = publicity, and most important of all, money. But, as it becomes increasingly evident that Rebecca Duvall does not have much in the way of singing talent, it appears that the role of Marilyn is once again up for grabs.
Tomorrow’s episode, entitled ‘Previews’, sees ‘Bombshell’ facing its first audience just as Rebecca faces a major crisis. In addition, Michael Swift is back causing more trouble for Julia and her family, and Dev and Karen face the fallout of Dev’s actions with Ivy at the end of the last episode, ’Tech’. With only two episodes to go, everything is coming to a head, and I can’t wait to see Smash takes us next.
Once Upon A Time has been the latest victim of my TV binging sessions. The American fairytale drama has been recently brought to Channel 5, proving a hit both sides of the Atlantic. So what’s it all about? Well, the protagonist of the show is Emma Swan (aka Zoe from How I Met Your Mother). Recently come to the small town, Storybrooke, Emma finds herself amidst a world of fairytale characters who appear to have forgotten their true identities. With no idea who they really are, and an Evil Queen/Mayor hell bent on keeping it that way, it is up to Emma to reverse the forces of evil and lift the curse trapping them all in our world. However, this is easier said than done, especially as Emma, who has grown up in our world, is a fully fledged sceptic when it comes to believing in fairytales.
The show boasts a terrific cast including the brilliant Robert Carlyle and Ginnifer Goodwin who you might recognise from such films as The Full Monty and He’s Just Not That Into You respectively. Every single episode of this show so far has kept me gripped from beginning to end (probably why I got through 20 episodes in a meagre three days). It includes all of the fairytale characters you could ever want: Snow White, Prince Charming, Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Pinnochio, the list goes on… And whilst supplying us with fairytale nostalgia, Once Upon A Time also challenges our “Disney-fied”, perhaps slightly simplistic perspectives on some of our favourite fairytale stories. For example, what exactly was it that made the Evil Queen evil? And would it really have been feasable that she despised Snow White so, because she was jealous of Snow White’s beauty? Indeed, what made Rumpelstiltskin so bitter? And why is Prince Charming called Charming?
Once Upon A Time goes beyond the fairytale, beyond the one point perspective we have all been so used to. The good guys aren’t solely good, and the bad guys aren’t solely bad. Every character has a back story, creating a human dimension through which we can truly seek to understand the evils of the Evil Queen, the madness of the Mad Hatter, and the true love of Snow White and her Prince Charming.
If you want traditional, conventional fairytales, this is not the show for you. But, if you want to see Snow White kicking ass and Little Red Riding Hood as you’ve never seen her before, then this is definitely worth a watch!
Image: http://tvilicious.com/sci-fi-fantasy/once-upon-a-time/
Every now and again, I find myself completely embroiled in a tv show, watching every episode from start to finish within a couple of weeks. The latest in my compulsive watching scedule is ABC Family show, Greek. Axed in 2011, the college-centred “dromedy” ran for just four seasons. Although the show probably had a couple more seasons left in it, there were only so many times the Cappie-Casey love affair could fail, then reignite in time for the season finale.
For those that don’t know, Greek is not, as the name might suggest, an historical epic on Ancient Greece. Instead, as I have alluded to above, it centres on college life; in particular, the Greek System. I.e. Fraternities and Sororities. The story begins as Rusty Cartwright starts his university life at Cyprus Rhodes. A Science nerd with a borderline racist Christian for a room mate, Rusty is not the first person you’d expect to join a fraternity, known for their “hot guys” and late-night parties. But it is his sibling relationship with Sorority sister and all-round popular girl, Casey Cartwright, that saves him from his social ineptitude, as he is welcomed into Kappa Tau, the frat house of Casey’s former boyfriend, Cappie.
Always a sucker for a good love story, I was hooked from the moment it appeared there was some unfinished business between Miss Casey Cartwright and Cappie, president of Kappa Tau, whose full name we only learn in the last episode of the final series. Their on-off relationship was one to rival Ross and Rachel! The longing looks and stolen kisses were enough to keep the show at its most popular, as it soon became clear these two were the real heroes of the show. Rusty, and all other characters ultimately played second fiddle to the Casey-Cappie relationship, as ever more storylines and series-end-episodes focused on the favoured couple.
Not just a programme about romance, Greek also deals with the politics involved in the running of sororities and fraternities, as well as covering important college issues, such as finding a job after graduation and the obstacles in getting an internship.
For me, Greek was not only an education in the Greek system - what it was and how it functioned - but also a lesson in figuring out how to go about my university life - prioritising, jobs, living with other people. Greek was, and continues to be in the realms of DVD and cyber space, a fantastic programme not afraid to tackle issues of homophobia and religion, whilst delivering four seasons of comedy, drama and romance.
Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_(TV_series)
Last night, I found myself watching Saturday Night Live, an American sketch show which invites the greatest in movie, tv and musical talent to host and feature in the show’s ensemble cast. Although I wasn’t overly impressed by the show’s episode (Jason Segel as host), it got me thinking what’s with the lack of sketch shows on British television? It’s hardly a national thing. British television have come up with some of the best sketch shows in TV history: Little Britain, Bremner, Bird and Fortune, Armstrong & Miller - I’m sure there are countless more I have forgotten. However, whilst SNL has been going for 37 straight seasons and counting, very much ingrained into the subconscious of American television, I can think of no British equivalent. Indeed, when I flicked through the TV guide earlier, there was not one sketch show to be found among its pages. Sure, there has been Noel Fielding’s somewhat mixed-reviewed Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy; but this is very much refined to the niche market. Does this mean the sketch show format is a dying breed, as reality shows like The X Factor, The Voice, Britain’s Got Talent and Paddy McGuinness’ Take Me Out take over the mainstream format? It has been a long time since a sketch show has won the same widespread popularity as Little Britain. Harry Hill’s TV Burp is soon to be leaving our television screens.
It would be a great shame if the sketch show becomes a thing of the past, pushed aside by the talent and reality show mogals of today. However, I don’t think the sketch show has had its day quite yet, and I can’t wait to stumble upon the next, best sketch show in British television history.
Image: http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/funnies/little-britain-the-very-funny-dog.html
