FRINGE, 4.14 – "The End of All Things"

A terrific episode that helped focus minds and propelled us into the final movement of this fourth season. Olivia (Anna Torv) captured by David Robert Jones (Jared Harris) and forced to perform psychic tasks to test the success of her surreptitious Cortexiphan dosing, with surrogate mother Nina (Blair Brown) painfully tortured as the emotional trigger; Peter (Joshua Jackson) entering the consciousness of the dying Observer (Michael Cerveris) in Walter's (John Noble) lab, at which point a large chunk of their mythology was spelled out for us; and the rather fabulous double-twist that the shapeshifter Nina was actually the real Nina, and it was the "real" Nina who was the impostor.

It's hard to complain about this episode too much, although I was expecting something more imaginative with The Observer's back-story. I think everyone had them down as highly evolved human with technology that allows them to operate outside of Space and Time, from as early as season 1, so it wasn't much of a big reveal four seasons in. A little better was being reminded that, hey, Fauxlivia gave birth to Peter's son Henry, and that's a key mistake that The Observer has been trying to correct. (Am I alone in totally forgetting about that baby, because it happened so long ago?)

Overall, "The End Of All Things" was fast-paced and packed with exciting moments, tense scenes, good action, and some big revelations. It's certainly one of the better episodes we've had in quite some time, and I'm so glad Jared Harris agreed to come back as Fringe's supervillain (who can't even be shot and killed on account of his body having been atomically reconstructed). There were a few things that disappointed me, though, and the feeling that Fringe needs to come to a suitable ending sooner rather than later, but I really enjoyed watching this episode and hope it's going to revitalise the rest of the season.

written by David Fury / directed by Jeff Hunt / 24 February 2012 / Fox

Should ROOM 101 be banished to Room 101?

Room 101 returned to our screens awhile ago, but I haven't had the chance to write about it until now. I was always a fan of this show; from when it started in 1994 with Nick Hancock in charge, all the way through the Paul Merton years until it was axed in 2007. For those who've been hiding under a rock, the format of the show had a weekly celebrity trying to convince the host to let them banish items into the fictional "Room 101". It was basically a half-hour spent listening to a famous person's "pet hates", which was an amusing way to spend some time.

Now, after a five year "rest", Room 101's back with comedian Frank Skinner as host, although it's transformed from a talk show to a homogeneous panel show, with three celebrities competing to get their many hates into Room 101. There are even different rounds revolving around specific categories. You could argue this is an improvement, because how can more celebs and more spleen-venting be a BAD thing? But, strangely, it isn't an improvement. Without the one-on-one focus, the show feels more trivial and less time's spent discussing each celeb's irritation. One of the funniest things about Room 101 was seeing Hancock/Merton analyse each guest's bugbears, with a variety of props and evidence to sway the argument one way or the other, but this new version just doesn't have a chance to. Consequently, good picks with plenty of comic potential are dealt with too quickly, and then we're onto the next person's choice.

I can see why they chose to update Room 101 in this way, especially because panel shows are enormously successful still, but it hasn't really worked for me. The fact it's a panel show means there's the same parade of faces being booked as guests (Sarah Millican, Micky Flanagan, Rhod Gilbert, et al), whereas I remember the original show being more inventive and surprising with their bookings. It had slowly become a minor honour to be asked on, almost like Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, but now the sheen has gone.

And if they're going to update the show, why not make genuine improvements like allowing the studio audience to vote for what gets put into Room 101? That's a far better idea than just letting Skinner decide each choice's fate, if you ask me. At least Hancock/Merton would sometimes decide success/failure based on the response from the audience, giving it a vaguely democratic feel. And the fact it now airs before the 9pm watershed means the opportunity to be more scabrous has been curbed, which is a shame.

What do you think? Is Room 101 better with multiple guests and more pet hates? Or has the show now become less focused, with fewer opportunities to explore the comic potential of a celebrity's choices?

Fridays, BBC2, 8.30PM

FRINGE, 4.13 – "A Better Human Being"

A solid enough episode, although the way the A-story about genetically engineered telepathic half-brothers complimented the B-story about Olivia (Anna Torv) regaining her memories of Peter's (Joshua Jackson) timeline started to lose its way after awhile. This was actually a rather mediocre and ridiculous X Files-y story, with the most interesting aspects being the developments with the show's mytharc—particularly the fact someone's been dosing Olivia with Cortexiphan (intending to restore her memories of the old timeline?), and the climactic surprise that Nina (Blair Brown) appears to have been replaced by a shape-shifter.

However, even if the thrust of this week's storyline wasn't so brilliant and began to overstay its welcome, "A Better Human Being" was the kind of episode where the garnish compensated for a weak main course. It was an especially good hour for Torv, who got to play the love-struck Olivia we haven't seen since season 3, and Jackson also gave a touching performance with Peter in two-minds about the pro's and con's of Olivia remembering the love they once shared.

Not bad, with some promising developments for the final nine episodes of this season (and possibly the entire series). What did you think?

written by Alison Schapker & Monica Owusu-Breen (story by Glen Whitman & Robert Chiappetta) / directed by Joe Chappelle / 17 February 2012 / Fox

Sky1 commission CHICKENS

In an unusual move, Sky1 have swooped to commission a six-part series of the sitcom Chickens, which started life as a Channel 4 "Comedy Showcase" pilot last year. The series concerns three men living in a small English village during World War I, who have each decided not to fight for King and Country.

It stars Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners), Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners) and Jonny Sweet, who are also the show's creators/writers. I reviewed the original pilot here.


Lucy Lumsden, Sky's Head of Comedy:

"We have fallen in love with those naughty Chickens and think our customers will do too. We are delighted to give such a talented bunch a home on Sky 1 HD."

Kenton Allen, CEO of Big Talk:

"Winning our first commission for Sky1 HD is a very significant moment for Big Talk. I know that Simon, Jonny and Joe will play a huge role in the future story of British Comedy and it's particularly thrilling that Sky1 HD are helping them make the big leap forward with their own authored series—we are all very excited!"

The series begins filming in December for a summer 2013 premiere.

BEING HUMAN, 4.3 – "The Graveyard Shift"

It's entertaining, but the edge has gone from Being Human. There's too much of a childish vibe from the performances and storylines for my taste, as the series becomes more serialized, ridiculous and rife with nitpicks. Why are the Old Ones taking so long to arrive? Why is Annie (Lenora Crichlow) written to always be such a silly fool? Why are all the vampires having such a hard time killing a baby? Why was vampire Fergus (Anthony Flanagan) able to enter the B&B without permission in the climax?

For the most part, this episode was all about cementing the new dynamic of Hal (Damien Molony) and Tom (Michael Socha), by forcing Hal to work alongside Tom in the Café On The Corner. A subservient, repetitive and tedious job which Hal wasn't best pleased with, particularly as we learned he's an "Old One" himself who once commanded the utmost respect in vampire society as "Lord Harry" in the 19th-century. The interplay between Hal and Tom, as they struggled to work together before slowly finding a bond (a shared respect for women, a love of Antiques Roadshow), was actually one of the episode's better elements.

Socha still isn't leading man material in my opinion, but he has a likeable rapport with Molony. It's just a shame the material they're given is so stiff or hokey most of the time; not least with the introduction of café regular Michaela (Laura Patch), a sorely unconvincing amalgam of a "goth" and, well, a J.K Rowling-style wannabe, armed with a journal brimming with bad poetry and macabre sketches. It could and should have been a brilliant character, plus a good antidote for the increasingly saccharine Annie, but Michaela was unfortunately little more than a painful stereotype... hastily written out of the show in an awkward way by falling in love with Regus (Mark Williams) after he turned her into a frizzy-haired vampire. An atrocious waste of a character's potential, and the scene where Michaela tried to pay for a hamburger with her "original poetry" was unutterably bad.

Away from the Tom/Hal interplay at the café, most played for laughs, the episode again revolved around the ongoing "War Child" prophecy, with Annie trying to keep baby Eve safe from Fergus and his fanged cronies. It makes sense of the show to become more serialized because standalone stories were becoming difficult to think up, but I've been instantly bored by this clichéd state of affairs. It just gives Annie more opportunities to do her irritating "mother hen" routine, and a diversion where we discovered ghosts can project their memories into vampires (meaning Regus found himself having sex with Annie's first love in a tent) wasn't funny, it was just weird and inconsequential.

I know there's lots of people enjoying series 4, but the spark has gone for me. It was always going to be tough replacing most of this show's regulars, and I don't mean to suggest Molony's bad—because he's interesting and different to Aidan Turner, despite unfortunate crossover with their character's histories. It just feels like the show's coasting by on dumb and trashy ideas, and even the show's style and inventiveness seems to have been curbed. There's an action sequence towards the end that highlights the limitations of this show's budget, in ways it used to overcame with clever camerawork and staging. (It doesn't help that there's a relatively expensive US remake airing now, so the differences are more noticeable if you're watching both shows.)

Overall, "The Graveyard Shift" did little to persuade me that series 4's going to equal the previous three years of this show, let alone best them, because it's simply lost too many characters and the writing has become more immature. Maybe that's partly because Tom and Hal have more lightweight personalities than their predecessors George and Mitchell. I don't begrudge fans who still gets a kick from their Sunday night fix of Being Human, and it remains generally entertaining, but I'm just not excited by what feels like a stupider version of a once-great series.

Asides

• There was an amusing reference to George and Mitchell's great affection for The Real Hustle, with Hal and Tom watching that show on television and looking bewildered by it, before turning over to Antiques Roadshow.
• So was Regus purely there as a Basil Exposition figure for these early episodes, or will he be back with vampire girlfriend Michaela soon?

written by Jamie Mathieson / directed by Philip John / 19 February 2012 / BBC Three

TV Picks: 20-26 February 2012 (Brit Awards, Kidnap & Ransom, Pramface, Watson & Oliver, White Van Man, Winterwatch, etc.)

WATSON & OLIVER - BBC2, MONDAY, 10PM

MONDAY 20th

The Tube (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary on the London Underground as the system is given the biggest revamp of its lifetime. (1/6)
My Hometown Fanatics: Stacey Dooley Investigates (BBC3, 9pm) Documentary on Luton, believed to be the extremist capital of the UK.
PICK OF THE DAY Watson & Oliver (BBC2, 10pm) Brand new sketch show from Lorna Watson & Ingrid Oliver. Guest starring John Barrowman. (1/6)
True Stories: My Social Network Stalker (Channel 4, 10pm) Documentary about a couple who found love after knowing each other as children, only for one of them to turn stalker.

TUESDAY 21st

PICK OF THE DAY The Brit Awards 2012 (ITV1, 8pm) Annual music awards ceremony. Hosted by James Corden. Performances from Adele, Noel Gallagher, Florence & The Machine, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Bruno Mars & Blur.
Timothy Spall: All At Sea (BBC4, 8.30pm) Series 2 of the show where the actor and his wife travel around the British coast in their barge. (1/4)

WEDNESDAY 22nd

Big Body Squad (Channel 5, 8pm) Documentary on obese people. (1/6)
PICK OF THE DAY Winterwatch (BBC2, 9pm) New series of the Springwatch spin-off, with hosts Chris Packham, Kate Humble & Martin Hughes-Games.

THURSDAY 23rd

Pramface (BBC3, 9pm) Comedy about two teenagers expecting a baby. Starring Sean Michael Verey & Scarlett Alice Johnson. (1/6)
Dispatches (Channel 4, 9pm) Documentary about online ticket selling.
Catholics (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary about Catholicism in the UK.
PICK OF THE DAY Kidnap & Ransom (ITV1, 9pm) Series 2 of the hostage negotiation thriller. Starring Trevor Eve & Helen Baxendale. (1/3)
White Van Man (BBC3, 9.30pm) Series 2 of the comedy about a handyman. (1/6)
Strictly Baby Disco (Channel 4, 10pm) Documentary about a dance craze focusing on young children.

FRIDAY 24th

PICK OF THE DAY Melvyn Bragg On Class & Culture (BBC2, 9pm) Exploration of class and culture between 1911 and 2011.
Benidorm (ITV1, 9pm) Series 5 of the comedy about British holidaymakers in the Spanish holiday resort. (1/7)

SATURDAY 25th

PICK OF THE DAY The Story Of Musicals (BBC2, 8.20pm) Documentary on the rise of musicals as a huge brand of entertainment. (1/3)
I'm In A Boy Band (BBC2, 9.20pm) Documentary on what it's like to be in a successful boy band. Featuring The Four Tops, One Direction & The Jackson 5.

SUNDAY 26th

PICK OF THE DAY Young Farmer Of The Year (BBC3, 8pm) Annual competition to find the nation's best young farmer.

See you next Wednesday

Following the death of my father a few weeks ago, aspects of DMD understandably slipped during January and February. (I make no apology for that, and I know nobody expects one.) But it has given me a better idea about the strength/loyalty of readership when there's no new content for an extended period of time (surprisingly healthy), and the success of increased double-bill and bite-sized reviews.

It also made me realize two things: (1) that some shows benefit from shorter reviews--especially ones that have been running for years, as it can be tough to find new angles to discuss about stories and characters we've been following for a very long time; and (2) that there's no point struggling to review a show you're only half-enjoying, especially if you keep making largely the same points, which is one reason I decided to stop covering The Walking Dead. Drawing attention to its same flaws, almost every week, wasn't fun and was only encouraging repetitive arguments from people who DO enjoy it.

I also feel that weekly reviews of short and serialized shows, like the recent four-part Mad Dogs, aren't always worth the effort. From now on, in similar cases, I'll probably watch the whole series and review it in its entirety afterwards. (For those asking, I'll perhaps write something brief about Mad Dogs series 2 to coincide with its box-set release, but no promises.)

For now, I'm taking a four-day break (Sat-Tue) to be with my family and attend my dad's funeral. See you next Wednesday, as John Landis might say...

Terry O'Quinn joins 666 PARK AVENUE

The brilliant Terry O'Quinn (Millennium, Lost) has signed onto ABC's pilot 666 Park Avenue, based on the graphic novels by Gabriella Pierce about an architect called Jane Boyle who marries the wealthy Malcolm Doran and becomes part of his revered family on the Upper East Side of New York City. However, soon after moving into their new home together, Jane comes to realise her mother-in-law is a witch, she herself has latent magical abilities, and their house is haunted.

O'Quinn will play Gavin, the owner of the spooky building the Doran's make their home, but I have no idea if that role's as second tier as it sounds. The pilot will be written by David Wilcox (Law & Order, Fringe) by Alex Graves (The West Wing, Terra Nova). I've heard Pierce's books described as "Rosemary's Baby meets The Devil Wears Prada", which is an interesting combination.

Have you read 666 Park Avenue? Does this TV show hold any appeal to you, on the surface?

Review: THE RIVER, 1.1 – 1.3 – "Magus", "Marbeley" & "Los Ciegos"

Magus

Marbeley

Los Ciegos

"There's magic out there..." – Dr Emmet Cole

I honestly wasn't expecting ABC's The River to be so heavily indebted to the same network's lamented Lost, but there's a fair amount of crossover because this show likewise revolves around a group of people negotiating a beautiful but scary wilderness, being attacked by half-invisible supernatural forces and tribal "Others". There are even "flashbacks" via family home videos, and a subtitled character who speaks no English. The more blatant influence is the "found footage" sub-genre popularised for modern audiences by 1999's Blair Witch Project, which isn't surprising given this show comes from Paranormal Activity's director Oren Peli and its sequel's co-writer Michael R. Perry. (Produced by Steven Spielberg, like that actually means much.)

The River concerns the mysterious disappearance of world-famous explorer and TV personality Dr Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) in an uncharted region of the Amazon, resulting in a family-led expedition to find him that's financed by a documentary film crew in exchange for unrestricted access to everything. Setting sail down the South American waterway is Emmet's wife Tess (Leslie Hope, no stranger to unique TV formats post-24); young adult son Lincoln (Joe Anderson); Lena Landry (Eloise Mumford), the daughter of Emmet's missing cameraman and Lincoln's love-interest; English film producer Clark Quitely (Paul Blackthorne); bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann, no stranger to weird expeditions post-King Kong); British cameraman A.J Poulain (Shaun Parkes), loyal Latino mechanic Emilio Valenzuela (Daniel Zacapa); and his psychic daughter Jahel (Paulina Gaitan), who's luckily also an expert when it comes to local legends.

The show is a decent amount of fun, and it's been constructed with care and attention by creators Peli and Perry, but I found myself growing less enamoured with it as time ticked by. It was initially a relief to see all the characters quickly believe in a supernatural explanation for who/what has taken their father, after they're attacked by a bloodthirsty "ghost" after discovering Emmet's forsaken ship loaded with videos of him being given a spiritual awakening by tribesmen, but in some ways I'd have preferred a slow-burn. By the end of the double-bill opener alone, so much has happened that you rather wish The River had kept some cards closer to its chest for awhile longer. The show also starts risking unintentional laughter, as the things affecting the expedition get more outlandish (such as someone being possessed by the spirit of Emmet, who appears in the form of a dragonfly they swallow in their sleep).

The "found footage" style definitely gives The River a unique identity on television, and it does a very impressive and logical job justifying this setup. Beyond the camera shots being taken by the documentary crew, the Magus ship is credibly laden with cameras used to capture Emmet's everyday activities as part of his successful TV show. This means the show can jump around to many different vantage points, and it mostly makes sense.

A few tricks have also been remembered from the abovementioned Paranormal Activity saga, with use of those movie's "fast-forwarding" of particular scenes that lead to a creepy or shocking moment. It's just a shame that audiences are now to au fait with this style of filmmaking that The River doesn't quite manage to be frightening enough. It's enjoyably unnerving at times, but claims that this is a terrifying TV show are somewhat overhyped. In fact, sometimes its style of delivery works against the show, because while the documentary style provides a sense of "reality", that same reality can also make some of the weirder moments look plain silly. (A sequence where a possessed character wanders around the ship feels particularly dumb, somehow—like it's inviting you to giggle at the moment's preposterousness, instead of convince you this shit's deadly serious and scary.) Indeed, the whole tone of the show doesn't make an effort to convince you this is a serious situation, which I guess was a creative choice they took.

I also enjoy what the cast bring to the equation, even if their characters are largely stereotypes at this stage. Hope, Mumford and Greenwood are particularly nice to have around, though, and that's not to say you watch the rest through gritted teeth.

Overall, The River launches in an interesting manner and introduced its concept, style, story and characters very well. I'm also relieved that ABC only requested eight episodes, as there's less chance the story will start to drag. I just hope that a theoretical second season doesn't get increased to the network standard of 24 episodes. It's hard to imagine the writers getting that much mileage from a show with this kind of premise, told in this way, so I'm hoping ABC play the long-game and only ask for 10-12 episodes each season. (Seeing as episode 3 shed half of its initial 7.8m viewers, this may all be wishful thinking!)

There are definite concerns, because even by the third episode I was beginning to wonder if the "found footage" aspect of the story was even that necessary. While it gives the show a definite hook and unique feel, everything happening is so outlandish that any credibility gained by the documentary shooting style is quickly lost. (A few moments would probably have worked better if filmed traditionally, too.) But while the third episode was notably weaker than the first two (almost like a Star Trek-style episode where an "away mission" goes disastrously wrong), I'm hoping The River will find itself and start developing a truly compelling mystery from its tasty ingredients.

Asides

• Interesting power-switch on The River's writing staff: the show's co-creator/showrunner is Michael R. Perry, who worked as a staff writer on Millennium during the season when Glen Morgan was running things with James Wong. Morgan is now a co-executive producer and writer on his show.
• Sticking to the Morgan and Wong connection, it's interesting that since the two writers parted company they're both now involved with two of TV's scarier shows. Wong is writing for FX's American Horror Story.

written by Michael Green & Michael R. Perry (story by Oren Peli & Michael R. Perry) (1.1), Michael Green & Zack Estrin (1.2) & Glen Morgan (1.3) / directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (1.1-1.2) & Michael Katleman (1.3) / 7 & 14 February 2012 / ABC

SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE – "A Place In This World" & "The Greater Good"

A Place In This World

The Greater Good

Apologies. I've slipped behind with my reviews of Spartacus: Vengeance, and to be honest that'll likely be an ongoing problem for awhile. But I thought I'd at least give some random thoughts on Vengeance now we're three episodes into the season. It's still fair to say the show still misses the marvelous John Hannah (more than Andy Whitfield, too), but the return of Ashur (Nick Tarabay) in "The Greater Good" went some way to make me forget about his loss. A show like this needs a larger-than-life villain, and Roman slimeball Glaber (Craig Parker) isn't a strong enough character in my book. Ashur's history with all of the gladiators is also a strong advantage, as Glaber himself only really has beef with Spartacus, and I loved how Ashur's return explained Lucretia's (Lucy Lawless) "miraculous" survival during the mutiny (he sewed up her stomach wound), and that he told Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) that Gannicus had an affair with his late wife. Tarabay is having a ball with this role, and has almost single-handedly reinvigorated my interest now.

Taking a wider view, I'm still uncertain about the success of Vengeance sending half its cast out on the road. It had to take this step, of course, but there was something singularly fascinating about the politics of the once pivotal ludus. Taking the gladiators out of their training camp is akin to watching a series of Downton Abbey where the servants leave the house and visit London. It may be fun to watch that happen, but it doesn't quite sit right. However, "The Greater Good" was a more promising example of the show's new itinerant nature, with some great woodland battles (were those trees real or greenscreen?) and a brilliant climactic set-piece inside a mine between the fugitives and Roman soldiers. The latter being a particularly good sequence because of the unexpected moment when Crixus (Manu Bennett) was captured while saving his rescued lover from harm.

Speaking of Crixus's girlfriend, it's a shame the show's been forced to recast Naevia (Cynthia Addai-Robinson replacing Lesley Ann-Brandt), although to be honest some of the supporting female characters blend together in my mind anyway. It doesn't help that we've technically spent two years away from this storyline, through no fault of anyone given the tragic circumstances. (Strange to see flashbacks of Blood & Sand scenes, redone with McIntyre and Addai-Robinson.) As for McIntyre? He's doing a decent job as the eponymous hero, given the fact it's hard to step into Whitfield's sandals, although I feel his performance lacks the raw edge of his predecessor. What McIntyre desperately needs is an iconic moment for fans to attach themselves to and remember fondly, but Vengeance hasn't delivered one for him yet, as the story doesn't feel as focused on Spartacus as one might expect.

Overall, I'm happier with Vengeance after seeing "The Greater Good", but I was far much more invested in Gods Of The Arena at this third-hour. I was also wondering if it's possible we've become desensitised to Spartacus, so it's not such a visceral thrill? There was a time when a CGI-blade being jabbed through someone's throat made me wince and gawp at the audacity (for the small-screen), but now I hardly bat an eyelid. At least the show's more significant instances of violence remain tethered to emotional issues happening between the characters (e.g. Oenomaus being flogged by his former pupil Ashur), and haven't become something things the writers throw in to keep bloodthirsty teenage boys happy.

Now we're a third of the way into this latest adventure, what are your current thoughts on Vengeance? Is the show improving steadily, or do you believe Spartacus has lost its mojo—either because of too many unfortunate changes to the cast, or the fact the story felt more creative when it was largely taking place in a cliffside building?

written by Brent Fletcher (2.2) & Tracy Bellomo (2.3) / directed by Jesse Warn (2.2) & Brendan Maher (2.3) / 6 & 13 February 2012 / Sky1