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Season one only ended in the UK last December, but Dallas is back already for a second run. I can comfortably say this revival has been an unexpected success, mainly because showrunner Cynthia Cidre quickly established a fantastic balance between old and new. The new, glossier Dallas has reverence for the original characters and its long history, but it never feels like a closed door to newcomers. The decision to have the show focus on the Ewing children - eco-warrior Christopher (Jesse Metcale) and his deceitful cousin John Ross (Josh Henderson) - was a masterstroke. It still allows for excellent support from the elders of their tribe - equable Bobby and power-hungry tycoon JR...
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The reasons to give The Following a chance stems from the lead actors they've cast—James Purefoy (Rome) and movie star Kevin Bacon (Footloose, Apollo 13)—and, for some, writer Kevin Williamson's involvement, seeing as he revitalized slasher movies with 1996's Scream and has been masterminding the feverishly fast-paced Vampire Diaries. For those three reasons, I was poised to enjoy The Following despite its contrived premise, but it struggled to overcome the trappings and clichรฉs of its genre.
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Last week, Tom Daley's Splash! unquestionably improved from its horrendous opening episode; this week maintained that same quality. The trouble now is that the format and timetable of each 90-minute episode has taken firm root, so the show as a whole is starting to go stale. At least when it was outright bad, you didn't know where things were going. But now Splash! just floats along and we know it's heading for a pointless finale in a fortnight's time.
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Liberty |
Enemy of Fate |
Screenwriter John Logan |
Utopia is a slow-burn thriller that aims to establish a mood and draw the viewer in, which it did to impressive effect thanks to the cinematic direction of Marc Munden (The Devil's Whore), who filled the screen with smart, colourful and sophisticated visuals. The cinematography was stunning, and I particularly liked the use of a background howl of wind to unsettle viewers. The only frustration was how Utopia's spell was frequently broken by commercial breaks; which convinced me to record and fast-forward the ads next time.
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Girls is notable for bringing a higher level of functional reality to a character-based drama focusing on women. Lena Dunham (creator, head writer, director, lead actor) must be congratulated for creating something that stands out from the crowd in the US. In addition, HBO deserve plaudits for taking a risk on a young writer-director who only had independent movie Tiny Furniture as a calling card. However, from a British perspective, it's tougher to appreciate Girls as something that's expanding its genre's borders. UK dramas are typically grittier and most already approach stories with stark realism in writing and acting, whereas US shows tends to prefer using the medium for fun escapism.
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Screenwriter Guy Andrews gave us the brilliant 2008 ITV miniseries Lost in Austen, but his adaptation of renowned English author P.G Wodehouse's Blandings Castle short stories left much to be desired. It's easy to see why the BBC would attempt to bring Blandings to our screens; it's a perfect fit for Sundays - period setting, genteel Englishness, bucolic scenery, recognisable actors, source material from a celebrated author...
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ITV's light entertainment spectacle Splash! launched to a tidal wave of animosity last weekend, most notably on Twitter. I was part of the baying crowd, but also aware that (generally) viewers don't enjoy "hating" something unless it's entertaining them on some inexplicable level. The idea of a competitive celebrity diving show isn't necessarily a bad one; it just depends on how well it's executed. I was pleased to see an improvement in week two of Splash!, although there are still many problems that prevent it being anything other than a harmless travesty.
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The BBC weren't pleased when their remake of Upstairs, Downstairs was outshone by ITV's Downton Abbey a few years ago, so they got revenge by forcing ITV to delay Mr Selfridge in the wake of their outwardly similar period drama The Paradise. Or that's the popular theory. I'm not sure it worked, because The Paradise was only a moderate hit and didn't capture the public's imagination; whereas Mr Selfridge feels like it has a better chance to soar because of the channel's association with Downton and perfect Sunday night scheduling.
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I liked Glee when it began, but it's weakened over time, so I came to season 4's premiere with low expectations. "The New Rachel" was better than anticipated, given the challenges of replacing old characters while maintaining a separate storyline in New York. Nevertheless, it's easy to imagine it falling back into a rut once the juice of new characters has been squeezed a few times.
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I can understand the thinking behind Splash! getting commissioned by ITV; in the wake of the sport's increased popularity thanks to Tom Daley's sex symbol status, the desire to extend the nation's athletic positivity post-Olympics (also a reason the BBC revived Superstars, also with Gabby Logan), and a format that doesn't taking itself seriously. The latter point is worth further thought, seeing as the show felt as throwaway and knowingly pointless as the BBC's Let's Dance for Comic Relief (which likewise has celebs doing something out of their comfort zone and receiving tongue-in-cheek analysis). The difference is that Let's Dance has the excuse of existing for charitable reasons, whereas ITV assumedly believe Splash! has potential to be an honest success. Bombing isn't allowed on the show, but tell that to the ratings.
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