Frame Rated: MAD DOGS - Season One

Yesterday, I reviewed the first season of Amazon Prime's MAD DOGS (a U.S adaptation of the Sky drama, reviewed here in the past). Please have a read! Then share!

"Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun" is the recurring line of the Noël Coward song, but the heroes are very American here. The source of the confusion stems from knowing Mad Dogs is an adaptation of a British series than ran from 2011-13, and presumably nobody could think of a more apt title. The show’s creator, Cris Cole, joins forces with Shawn Ryan (The Shield) for this glossy remake, and the result is an undoubted improvement because it has the fortune of working from a template (embracing what worked, avoiding what didn’t), but it still suffers from inherent flaws. Continue reading...

Frame Rated: 2016 TV Preview

It's already slightly out-of-date because Sherlock aired yesterday, but here's a link to my '2016 TV Preview' feature at Frame Rated from a few days ago. 8 must-see television shows that are debuting (or returning after long absences) between now and March. Click here!

Amazon pilots: COCKED • DOWN DOG • MAD DOGS • THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE • THE NEW YORKER PRESENTS • POINT OF HONOR • SALEM ROGERS

It's Amazon pilot time... again. From the lows (axing The After before production began) to the highs (Transparent winning two Golden Globes), I think we've all adjusted our expectations of Amazon's pilots. A few will be very good, most will be decent but forgettable, and some will be just plain awful. I've seen all of the latest batch for winter 2015, so below are my capsule reviews of each...

My Television Disappointments of 2013

There were lots of bad television shows in 2013, as there are ever year, but the truly hopeless ones didn't hang around long enough to bother me. Or I managed to avoid the absolute worst of the worst thanks to good judgement. So this list is more about disappointment, not abject terribleness... although, sure, many of my choices are terrible shows, too. Below are the 10 shows that let me down, tricked me into expecting greatness, or were simply made by people who can do better. And in the interest of fairness, I watched either all or the majority of their seasons/series this year—but if you want to defend anything on the list because it got better at some point, be my guest...

MSN TV: MAD DOGS (series 3)

Over at MSN TV today: I have reviewed the MAD DOGS series 3 premiere, starring John Simm, Phillip Glenister, Marc Warren, and Max Beesley.

Mad Dogs has somehow made it to a third series, and a concluding fourth series had already been filmed. In many ways its longevity boggles my mind, because it worked perfectly well as a four-part miniseries back in 2011, and I saw little need for the story to even continue. For the most part, I thought series 2 was a mess that was only marginally rescued by the late addition of genre legend David Warner as ex pat gangster Mackenzie.

Continue reading at MSN TV...

Dan's Most Anticipated TV Shows of early-2012

Who cares about what was good or disappointing about television in 2011? That's all in the past now, so let's move on. 2012! A shiny new year, full of old favourites and exciting newcomers. Below I pick my 11 Most Anticipated TV Shows of the new year period (Jan/Feb), so be sure to keep an eye out for the following on your screens:

11. Mad Dogs

(Sky1, 19 Jan) I'm in two minds about this show's return. I really loved half of series 1's four episodes, but felt the story tailed off sharply and didn't end well. Even worse, I didn't expect and still don't understand why Mad Dogs is coming back, because the story didn't seem to demand it. So I'm intrigued to see what they have planned in this second year, and if some lessons will have been learned from before. If nothing else, the great cast (John Simm, Philip Glenister, Marc Warren, Max Beesley) should be worth watching as the four childhood friends having a terrible time in paradise.

10. Smash

(NBC, 6 Feb) As Glee gets more ridiculous and repetitive, drowning in its own self-righteous silliness and celebrity cameos, will this brand new musical drama steal some of its thunder? I doubt it, because Smash is a very different beast, but maybe there are some disillusioned Glee fans who are craving something more substantial and dramatic. This song-and-dance drama, about the making of a Broadway show based on Marilyn Monroe's life, should be worth a few hours of your precious time.

9. Eternal Law

(ITV1, 5 Jan) A brand new fantasy drama from the writers behind Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes, which is reason enough to be excited. (Unfortunately they also did renowned flop Bonekickers, so there are no guarantees.) Eternal Law concerns two heavenly angels, Zak and Tom, who are working as lawyers in modern-day York and use their abilities to influence the community around them in a positive way. Will this be a mawkish Highway To Heaven-style courtroom drama? I have no idea, but it should be worth finding out.

8. Luck

(HBO, 29 Jan) A drama written by David Milch (Deadwood), with a pilot directed by Michael Mann (Heat), starring Dustin Hoffman in his first TV role. Those facts alone guarantee many people will be tuning into this horse racing drama, but it remains to be seen if this equine underworld and its granite-faced characters will charm viewers into going the distance. But can you really refuse anything that co-stars Nick Nolte, Ian Hart, Dennis Farina and Michael Gambon?

7. Justified

(FX, 17 Jan) The third season of Justified will hopefully build on the brilliant second, now the writers have found a great balance between telling standalone stories while keeping an eye on an larger story arc. Great performances from Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins, who are joined this year by the beautiful Carla Gugino as a U.S Marshall Assistant Director (an actress who's no stranger to the work of author Elmore Leonard, having starred in Karen Sisco).

6. Being Human

(BBC Three, TBA) This will be a difficult series of the supernatural drama, given the departure of Aidan Turner (as tortured vampire Mitchell) and the knowledge that Russell Tovey's werewolf George is also leaving. Creator Toby Whithouse has his work cutout introducing a more urbane vampire to the group dynamic (played by Irishman Damien Moloney), and it remains to be seen if fans will accept the coming changes. Might it be best to end the show and let fans embrace the fluffier US remake? Maybe, but I'm very interested to see if Being Human can keep its audience as 66% of the original cast leave for pastures new.

5. Touch

(Fox, 25 Jan) It's Kiefer Sutherland's return to TV after 24, in a brand new sci-fi mystery series from the creator of Heroes. The setup is very simple: Sutherland plays the father of an autistic/mute boy who is able to predict various disasters, which he then has to prevent. It doesn't sound very original, but you can't deny the potential for some exciting case-of-the-week stories as father and son save the day together. The test here will be finding ways to stop the formula becoming too irritating. At least it's only been given a half-season order, so it stands a better chance of not outstaying its welcome.

4. The River

(ABC, 7 Feb) Horror is the big thing on television right now, following the success of True Blood and American Horror Story (we'll forget the unjust failure of the brilliant Harper's Island). What makes The River so anticipated is its unique-for-television format: a documentary-style affair similar to The Blair Witch Project, about the search for a famous explorer who goes missing in the Amazon. Six months later, the man's family go on a search to uncover what happened to him, joined by a documentary filmmaker, and discover supernatural goings-on. From the director of Paranormal Activity and a writer of Millennium, The River has the potential to be something really gripping.

3. Alcatraz

(Fox , 16 Jan) The latest project from JJ Abrams' Bad Robot production company, Alcatraz could go either way. The concept sounds great for a movie (prisoners from "The Rock" all go missing one night in the past, only to reappear in the modern-day), but can a TV series sustain that idea and keep audiences interested? It's hard to see how the writers will keep this rolling for years (can't they just interrogate their first recaptured fugitive for answers?), but I'm willing to give anything with Abrams' name attached the benefit of the doubt. Even if he's not actually very hands-on with these shows, day to day.

2. Spartacus: Vengeance

(Starz, 27 Jan) The first true sequel to Spartacus: Blood & Sand, after last year's brilliant prequel, Vengeance sees the show painting on a much bigger canvas. The budget is bigger, meaning the show can take the gladiators beyond the confines of the Capua arena and their training camp, out into the wider world. The big uncertainty is if Liam McIntyre will prove to be a fitting replacement for the late Andy Whitfield in the title role, but I see no reason to be concerned from the trailers. He looks very similar (which helps) and appears to have the same kind of charisma. Expect more ultra-violence, sex, politics, tragedy, nudity, double-crosses, gore, swearing, death and mutilation. I can't think of many shows that are so relentlessly fun and entertaining.

1. Sherlock

(BBC One, 1 Jan) The long-awaited return of the BBC's Sherlock Holmes update, with Benedict Cumberbatch back as the world's greatest sleuth and Martin Freeman as amiable colleague Dr Watson. It's been 18-months since series 1's cliffhanger, and what's exciting about series 2 is that co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have chosen to adapt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous stories: the one with Irene Adler ("A Scandal In Bohemia"), the one with a beast prowling the moors ("The Hound Of The Baskervilles"), and the one where Sherlock confronts his arch-nemesis Moriarty ("The Final Problem"). With three of the best stories to hand, if Sherlock maintains its sense of visual style, wit and inventiveness, I think we already have a very early contender for Best TV Show of 2012...

Sky confirm 'Mad Dogs' series 2, maybe 3

Sky have revealed their well-received drama Mad Dogs will return for a second series. The sun-kissed thriller, about a group of childhood friends reunited in Majorca, who become embroiled in a violent murder-mystery when one of them is killed, was a hit for Sky1 earlier this year. Max Beesley, Philip Glenister, John Simm and Marc Warren have also been optioned for a third series, if one gets commissioned. Four new episodes of the BAFTA-nominated show will be filmed soon, for an early-2012 release.

Andy Harries, Executive Producer:

"Mad Dogs had such an impact that it was as obvious as a dead goat that we had to do more and all the our amazing cast felt the same."

Suzanne Mackie, Executive Producer:

"Before we had finished the first series of Mad Dogs we felt that there was so much more to do with these characters. I have been working with Cris Cole on the scripts ever since we finished shooting series one and the ideas for series two and three are every bit as explosive and inventive as they were at the beginning."

SPOILERS BEGIN. Series 2 will pick up "where series one ended -- with Woody, Baxter and Rick driving away from the villa as Quinn has chosen to stay and make a new life in Majorca. In the opening scenes viewers will see Woody, Baxter and Rick have a change of heart and turn back. However, it isn’t long before they realise they’ve made the wrong move setting themselves on an even more misguided course. In the series two opener viewers will see another killing and an escape with the drug money but can they really make a getaway when there are people who want their money back? The complicated situation the friends have found themselves in continues to spin wildly out of control and surely it can only be a matter of time before they face their day of reckoning..." SPOILERS END.

I have mixed feelings about this news. I was under the impression Mad Dogs was a finite story when it was airing, and it certainly ended in a way that didn't seem to require more. For me, the first two episodes were really good, but the final two struggled to finish the story in a satisfying way. I can't see a creative reason for a second series, really. Will we follow the surviving characters on the run, trying to escape the island, with bent cops on their tails? I don't know, this news makes as much sense as a sequel to Shallow Grave right now.

What do you think? Are you glad Mad Dogs is coming back? Is there really more story to tell here, or is this just servicing Sky's need for original UK drama? Do you think a second and third series is justified?

'MAD DOGS' - Part Four

I'm not going to lie: the climax to Mad Dogs was a disappointment. In retrospect, this miniseries can now be divided into halves (the engrossing first two episodes; and the choppy final two). There was a great low-budget British indie movie to be made from this premise, unwisely stretched to four hours of weekly TV. Thank goodness it had a strong cast giving it their best (particularly Marc Warren, unexpectedly), because otherwise it would have been hard to stay engaged with this holiday misadventure's second half.

In "Part Four", Quinn (Philip Glenister), Baxter (John Simm), Woody (Max Beesley) and Rick (Marc Warren) were forced to barricade themselves in the villa -- convinced the Serbian Mafia are lurking outside, launching distress flares and patrolling the grounds with laser-sighted riles. It's a siege. The gang became trapped indoors with limited provisions (a few bottles of water and Cokes) as the villa's electricity and water supplies were turned off and the baking Majorcan heat started to make tempers flare. In particular, Rick confronted Quinn about him allegedly sleeping with his wife, Baxter ranted about the struggles he's faced trying to survive various business upsets, and Woody vented his spleen to detective Maria (Maria Botto), who arrived on the edge of the villa's ground offering the boys leniency if they come clean about what happened to Alvo and the missing drug money from the boat the police have now found.

Two things ultimately spoiled Mad Dogs for me. Firstly, the situation started to unravel after episode 2, but particularly in this finale. The gang theorized that the Mafia don't want them dead because they know where their drug money is. Okay, but if that's true, why don't the Mafia storm the villa and torture them for this information? Didn't they wonder why the Mafia are also drawing attention to themselves by launching distress flares around the villa? And why were they cowering in their villa half the time, but then walking around outside to see Maria at the perimeter fence? Maria happily walked into the villa grounds in episode 2, so why was she suddenly very respectful of their privacy?

Secondly, the reveal of the overall "mystery" (via collected video footage Baxter pored over) was disappointingly flat and, frankly, made it feel that there wasn't much of a mystery to begin with. The Serbian Mafia didn't actually exist, the drug deal was between criminals and the Majorcan police, Maria was involved in the "inside job", and Alvo was killed because he didn't agree to help a Mr Dominic make the drop on Jesus' boat. We certainly got answers, which was good, but... they weren't very surprising. There was no deep reason for why Alvo gathered his friends together (I was hoping for some kind of long con), or why he was being so rude to them during their first day together, and no clever twist in "Part Four" to make you re-evaluate the preceding three hours. Maybe it was wrong of audiences to expect a mind-spinning twist, but a satisfying resolution didn't even materialize. Quinn shot Maria dead in the villa's pool before she could kill his friends (a surprise you could see coming given Quinn's absence), then sent his friends off to the airport with 20 grand each, and awaited an ambiguous end when a hitman (another bent cop like Maria, assumedly) walked into the villa's grounds cocking a gun.

It was also a disappointment that the show never really expanded beyond the villa, which gave everything after "Part Two" a cheap feel. Limited locations and characters is no barrier to greatness, but Mad Dogs would have been far more entertaining if the show had become more of a caper set around Majorca. "Part One" suggested we'd be in for a broader story, but every episode since seemed to draw things tighter. Maybe that was intentional -- to show the walls closing in on the friends and force them to really start communicating with each other -- but I can't help wishing Mad Dogs had been more outgoing. There wasn't enough of interest to make me care about the beef Quinn has with Rick, or Baxter has with Woody. It makes sense they cast four recognizable actors like Glenister, Simm, Beesley and Warren, as they imbued those character with more dynamism than what was on the page.

It's a shame Mad Dog didn’t manage a strong finish, as that's soured my overall opinion of this four-part drama. It's also tough to recommend the DVD to Sky-less friends, knowing that so much of the initial promise fades into watching four men in fancy dress try to attack a local Majorcan in a pincer movement. It got off to a great start and I enjoyed "Part Two", but the story hit some bumps in "Part Three" and ultimately fizzled out. Maybe two 90-minute episodes would have been a better format, to keep expectations grounded instead of building to unrealistic heights.

This hasn't been a very popular run of reviews, which I think it a shame, but does anyone have an abiding thought about Mad Dogs and Sky's approach to homegrown drama?

written by Cris Cole / directed by Adrian Shergold / 3 March 2011 / Sky1/HD

'MAD DOGS' - Part Three

If "Part One" was setup and intrigue, and "Part Two" was aftermath and reaction, "Part Three" should have deepened the mystery in preparation for the finale. It didn't quite achieve that, as the story's annoyingly cagey about revealing much about the circumstances behind Alvo's murder, which is beginning to make me suspect the answers will be a disappointment. "Part Three" leaned on the show's farcical side (a corpse was accidentally dropped overboard as a party-boat playing Aqua's "Barbie Girl" sailed past with women flashing their breasts; a short, angry gangster was lowered into a well for safe-keeping), although sometimes the comedy felt forced and witless (like pondering the PC term for a midget), and I was annoyed by the stupidity of detective Maria (Maria Botto) this week, who could have solved the case by staking out the villa and following her four suspect's movements.

The disposal of Alvo's putrefying body was again the driving force of the plot, with the boys convinced that chopping off their dead mate's hands and dumping him on Jesus' stolen yacht will make the cops think he was killed by the Serbian Mafia in "a drug deal gone bad", as Maria believes the Mafia were behind Jesus' own murder. I'm disappointed Mad Dogs didn't widen its scope here, or put the gang on the offensive, as they're still floundering around with no idea what they're caught up in. Why was Alvo shot dead? Are the Serbian Mafia involved? Did the Mafia kill Jesus? If so, why? And why are the four people who witnessed Alvo's hit being kept alive?

It was also a real shame that Maria's role was reduced to a few brief scenes here, as she was a wonderfully peculiar screen presence in "Part Two". The fact it was revealed she has the gang's video of their trip on Jesus yacht made for a good cliffhanger last week, but that didn't impact this episode's events in the slightest. Why doesn't she arrest them? And, as I said, she'd have cracked the case by simply following them around, as they rarely leave the villa without carrying a dead body or drug money.

Tiny Blair (sans mask) also returned to antagonize the gang and demand they tell him where Jesus' yacht is, in broken English, but why didn't he interrogate them after shooting Alvo? And as this week's cliffhanger involved Tiny Blair being found dead in the villa's deep freezer, with a note saying "we told you not to go to the police", the whole thing is a real puzzle.

Overall, "Part Three" was the weakest installment of Mad Dogs yet, which I wouldn't have expected from a penultimate episode. Still, there was a stronger emphasis on the characters than "Part Two", with nerves beginning to shred. In particular, Rick (Marc Warren) started to annoy everyone by openly discussed Quinn's (Philip Glenister) failures and the £5,000 he's still owed by Baxter (John Simm). Quinn was also in a reflective mood, admitting he wishes he never had children because of what it did to his marriage ("... as soon as you have that kid, the love that you had for each other is consigned to history") and pontificating about how people don't control their destinies these days. Some great moments from a great cast, and I'm eager to see how writer Cris Cole draws everything together for next week's finale. I just hope the mystery isn't revealed to be something rather basic, hence why there's been so much weirdness to throw us off the scent.

written by Cris Cole / directed by Adrian Shergold / 24 February 2011 / Sky1/HD

'MAD DOGS' - Part Two

Last week's opener was a slow-burn setup to the shocking climax, where well-heeled Alvo (Ben Chaplin) was shot in the head by an undersized gangster wearing a grinning Tony Blair mask, in full view of the four friends he'd invited to his luxury Majorcan villa. Part Two dealt with the immediate aftermath of the bloody murder; resulting in a less languorous pace, if ultimately giving things a less innovative, insidious feel.

The key thing this episode had to do was make it seem plausible the gang wouldn't just call the police to report Alvo's murder, as they've done nothing (knowingly) illegal and have each other as support. This was handled very well: the shooter "Tony Blair" (Tomas Pozzi) incriminated Baxter (John Simm) by smearing his saliva on the murder weapon; "Tony" was seen driving away in a police car (placing doubt in everyone's mind that the police are even trustworthy); Baxter reasoned that implicating the cops would make theirs a federal case, meaning they'd be stuck in Majorca for months awaiting trial; and Woody (Max Beesley) realized it looks very suspicious that they arrived on the island and Alvo's villa was signed over to them, shortly before he was killed.

Matters were also nicely complicated the next morning (after the boys had scrubbed the murder scene clean and buried Alvo in the garden) when Spanish detective Maria (María Botto) arrived at the villa, looking for Alvo in relation to Jesus' stolen yacht. The guys spun a story about Alvo having gone to the mainland on business until Tuesday, to satisfy Maria's nosiness, before Rick (Marc Warren) remembered he'd left the DV camera of their holiday footage on the abandoned yacht, prompting a trip to the vessel for another cleanup. And while there, they found themselves caught in the middle of an exchange with drug-dealers, who handed them €3 million. Involving money is the point Mad Dogs really started to resemble a sun-drenched version of Danny Boyle's Shallow Grave for me -- with the friends deciding to cover their tracks, stash the €3 million somewhere safe, continue their holiday, and return home.

If you didn't enjoy the easygoing pace of last week, Part Two was much livelier and nicely broadened the story. I particularly enjoyed Botto's performance as the peculiarly friendly detective, who nevertheless sensed something's amiss about the four men. At times Maria felt like a headmistress arriving to see what four naughty schoolboys have been up to behind their teacher's back (notice how she held Baxter's hand when she took him in for questioning?) This episode built to scenes where Maria interviewed each of them individually at the villa (after they'd hidden Alvo's body in a freezer, having sliced his feet off with an electric knife to fit), and various discrepancies in their story came to light.

Will the foursome split into pairs soon? There were signs here that Baxter and Quinn (Philip Glenister) are closer friends; likewise Rick and Woody. Right now the boys are united as a foursome, but I'm wondering how long it'll be before desperation has them turning on each other.

Overall, Part Two was a strong continuation of this four-part story and definitely better paced. It's certainly an advantage with UK dramas that exist to tell a single story, over a finite period of time. We had the setup and exposition in Part One, Part Two was all about reaction to the aftermath, and I'm sure the remaining two hours will explain exactly what's going on. What was Alvo caught up in? Did he lure his friends to the villa to pin the blame for something on them? Was he killed over the yacht theft, or for something else? I also keep wondering if the whole thing's an elaborate hoax or "game", until I remember that Alvo's definitely dead and surely nobody's that committed to a practical joke!

The only problem with Part Two, in comparison to last week, is that we didn't really learn anything about the characters, and most of the plot was instead driven by hide-the-corpse/money black comedy. There's such a brilliant cast involved in Mad Dogs that you can't help wanting to get under the skin of their characters, but beyond Rick poking fun at Woody's chiseled physique (shades of Alvo's mickey-taking last week), there wasn't much fleshing out of the four leads. It was all about seeing how they reacted to a horrendous situation.

Mad Dogs is proving itself one of the more entertaining British dramas in awhile; beautifully filmed, nicely acted, with a storyline you can't help feeling gripped by. I can't wait to see how it pans out, how about you?

Asides

• I wasn't convinced by the gang's plan to dig up Alvo's body and plant it on the yacht, so the cops will eventually find him and think a drug deal went south. Forensics would surely detect Alvo's body was recently covered in earth, right?
• I wondered how long it would take Max Beesley to deliver full frontal nudity.
• I didn't like Part One's flashforward opening, but the same device worked a lot better here; with the four lad's sitting by the pool and the surprise arrival of detective Maria.
• The mannequin being used as Alvo's dead body was, unfortunately, quite apparent.

written by Cris Cole / directed by Adrian Shergold / 17 February 2011 / Sky1/HD

TV Ratings: 'Mad Dogs', Sky1

Sky1's new drama Mad Dogs got off to a great start on Thursday night at 9pm, with 960,000 viewers tuning in for Part One. My guess is that the star-power of the four leads (Philip Glenister, John Simm, Max Beesley, Ben Chaplin) was too much to resist, particularly on an evening that's hardly flowing with TV gems. There was also another effective marketing campaign.

I can't imagine many of that 960k not watching Part Two next week, given this opener's stunning climax that almost demands you watch more. I'm just glad Sky are channelling some of their cash into an original homegrown series, given all the emphasis that's been placed on Sky's US acquisitions this year. Incidentally, while Mad Dogs was clearly a hit with audiences, I was surprised by the lack of comments on my review. Did nobody here care?

'MAD DOGS' - Part One

Take a trip to Obsessed With Film, where I've reviewed the first episode of Sky1's four-part drama MAD DOGS, starring Philip Glenister, John Simm, Marc Warren and Ben Chaplin. There's sun, sea, sand, and a gunman wearing a Tony Blair mask. Are you up for the holiday from hell?

Sky's newfound commitment to original drama continues with the sun-kissed thriller Mad Dogs, where four middle-aged friends -— Woody (Max Beesley), Quinn (Philip Glenister), Baxter (John Simm) and Rick (Marc Warren) -— fly out to Majorca to spend a week at their mutual pal Alvo's (Ben Chaplin) luxurious villa, at his invitation, to get reacquainted and relive their youth. A simple setup for a ribald comedy-drama about midlife crisis, but Mad Dogs has more sinister and surreal things playing on its mind. Continue reading...