Bits and pieces of telly-related stuff

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Today's Observer Review included this very interesting article about David Simon's new series Treme. I can't wait to see it. Are any of you watching it? What do you think?

More behind cut with slight spoilers for last night's Doctor Who.



The Observer also featured news that apparently some die-hard Marvel Comics fans are cutting up rough at the idea of Idris Elba playing Heimdall, guardian of the Rainbow Bridge, in the upcoming Mighty Thor feature film. I think they should consider themselves lucky to get him.

Speaking of Idris Elba, his new BBC show Luther starts this Tuesday. I'm not much of a fan of cop shows and the 'maverick cop' premise is so tired. I'll be watching, though. No way I'd miss Elba's return to Brit TV.

In other telly news, I missed the first episode of the second series of Dollhouse last week (S was watching football), and since it doesn't look like it gets repeated, that's that. I'll have to carry on waiting for the DVDs. Oh well.

Then there's last night's Doctor Who. So far, I've found myself with very little to say about the new series, beyond Matt Smith is fine (funny looking, but then the Doctor is always funny looking), Amy Pond is fine, and the eps have been okay, except for the dalek one, which was dreadful. Things did ramp up a notch with this latest two-parter, though. Lots of interesting mythology stuff, River Song (though I actually found her a bit annoying, I'm afraid), and the usual offing of minor characters left, right and centre, which is what you expect. Sadly, though, one thing fell a bit flat for me. See, in the original Blink, I found the Weeping Angels borderline scary (not really scary, because after all this is a kids' program, but close enough). This time, however, they just...weren't. They looked like very unscary statues that were being moved around by an army of prop men whenever the lights went off. Oh well.

In slightly related news, 51stcenturyfox wrote a fun John Hart/Liz X fic the other day. Detained, rated R. Highly recommended.

Also, last night I decided to try reading the tbp of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1910, only to find myself ploughing through speech bubble after speech bubble written in Punjabi. Lucky for me, I suppose, that I didn't need a translator (or at least, when my crap Punjabi failed me, S was able to translate for me), as there rather uncompromisingly wasn't any translation in the text. Might ask Comic Shop Boy whether the original single issues included translations next time I see him.

Comments

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I've seen the first two episodes of Treme, and so far I find it interesting, very well done, with a lot of potential... but still too much in the set-up phase to be unmissable. Then again, The Wire took 4 or 5 episodes to really hit its stride too, so I'm definitely hanging in there.

See, in the original Blink, I found the Weeping Angels borderline scary (not really scary, because after all this is a kids' program, but close enough). This time, however, they just...weren't.

Yup. I think part of it was the setting, actually: unearthly monsters in a summery green English garden are far scarier than unearthly monsters on a weird alien planet. Also, most of the actual scares (the angels, the dead voice on the intercom, the darkness, etc) were already done in "Blink" and the library two-parter; it felt a little too much like a repetition of something that had worked once. That said, the scene where one of the angel's snuck up on Octavian was excellent, and I realy like the way the show is arcing.

[shapinglight]

I've seen the first two episodes of Treme, and so far I find it interesting, very well done, with a lot of potential... but still too much in the set-up phase to be unmissable. Then again, The Wire took 4 or 5 episodes to really hit its stride too, so I'm definitely hanging in there.

I daresay it'll be yet another case of waiting for the DVDs for me. It usually is. I just got around to buying Generation Kill with my birthday money, but I haven't watched it yet.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Clarke Peters in another role.

Agree about the arc stuff in DW. It is definitely interesting. I'm wondering what time events the Doctor wants to rewrite. The Time War? I doubt it's the last we've seen of River Song. I just hope when she returns she'll be a bit less smug.

That said, the scene where one of the angel's snuck up on Octavian was excellent

Yes, and Iain Glen was very good, as always.

:icon snap:

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

I despise River Song, and I'm sure she killed the Doctor.
Otherwise why is she not with the one she married?

[lordshiva.livejournal.com]

Chill.

[shapinglight]

Hmm, 'despise' is a pretty strong word. Why do you say that? I agree it was rather heavily implied that the man she killed was the Doctor, but it will probably turn out that there's a good reason for it, like saving the universe or something. I did find her annoying, but that was because she was such a knowitall.

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

I find it unacceptable that she just drags the Doctor into situations to save her ass, before she's even met him; it's presumptuous.
And her unutterable smugness gets up my nose.
It was basically a gut reaction the instant she spoke.

Even her name is annoying.

[shapinglight]

I'll give you the smugness but this- I find it unacceptable that she just drags the Doctor into situations to save her ass, before she's even met him; it's presumptuous.

I don't think it really applies when people are time travellers.

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's okay that she's told him things about his (alleged) future.
And the "Spoilers" gag is getting old very quickly.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

I gave Treme a try, but I'm afraid I don't have much to say about except that I have to get the subtitles for it. I couldn't understand most of it and hence couldn't really form an opinion.

I liked the who-two-parter, even if they wasted the Angels.

+ I'm very impressed that you have a Punjabi that can fail you.

[shapinglight]

I couldn't understand most of it and hence couldn't really form an opinion.

I'll probably have similar problems, if that helps. I struggled all the way through The Wire, and though I've now watched four out of the five seasons, I often have to listen to things over and over again to get them.

I'm very impressed that you have a Punjabi that can fail you.

I tried so hard to learn it before I got married - taught myself to read it and everything. Then the kids came along and it all fell by the wayside. I still can't really speak it, though I can understand some. And I can still read it.

S, on the other hand, is illiterate in Punjabi, so we had this daft situation where I was reading him something he couldn't read and I couldn't understand and he was telling me what it said.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Yeah it was the same with "The wire" for me, and I really want to watch that since you and so many others think it's great.

I found a neat site though, where you can find subtitles for practically everything.

S, on the other hand, is illiterate in Punjabi, so we had this daft situation where I was reading him something he couldn't read and I couldn't understand and he was telling me what it said.

You kind of complete each other then :)
Rob usually just laughs his ass off, when I try to speak polish, because I can't pronounce it even remotely right.

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Rob usually just laughs his ass off, when I try to speak polish, because I can't pronounce it even remotely right

Well, the great thing about Punjabi is that the alphabet is completely phonetic. If you can read it, you can make a fair approximation of the word, even if you don't know what it means.

I hope you get the chance to watch The Wire at some point.

[makd.livejournal.com]

Am watching Treme; it's terrific.

Also - don't know if Deadwood made it across the pond; it was also an excellent series. (I know The Wire has, and it's probably the best ever....)

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Am watching Treme; it's terrific.

Good to know. :)

Deadwood did make it over here, but again on a cable channel I don't get. I'd have to buy the DVDs to watch it.

[lordshiva.livejournal.com]

Treme is amazing. Really really amazing. Loving it so far.

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That's great. The article filled me with enthusiasm about it. Hope I don't have to wait too long to see it.