BLOGS

Recently in Skimming Across the Pond Category

Downton Abbey: The House's Biggest Feuds

The second episode of Downton Abbey's second season literally brought the war home, as the Crawley clan began sharing their opulent house with a legion of wounded soldiers in desperate need of a peaceful place to convalesce. But with all the tensions running through Downton at the moment, those poor guys might find more relaxation back in the trenches. Here are the biggest feuds that are currently making life in the house difficult.

Absolutely Fabulous: Reunited and It Feels So Normal

Normal is not a word ever really used to describe the AbFab ladies, but that's exactly what last night's reunion special felt like: normal... by their standards, at least. The ladies were up to their typical antics with Saffy shooting disparaging looks at her mother -- if it hadn't been for Bubble trying to use an iPad and jokes about Twitter and Dubstep, I would just have thought this was an ordinary lost episode, instead of the show's 20-anniversary special.

Why Great Escape Is Gordon Ramsay's Most Enjoyable Show

Right now we're inundated with shows that feature celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Not only is Hell's Kitchen on several nights a week, but thanks to Masterchef and Kitchen Nightmares, Fox pretty much has him on year-round. And BBC America airs the UK version of Kitchen Nightmares as well. It's a whole lot of Gordon Ramsay to deal with. So when I saw that the second season of another show of his was airing on BBCA, I was less than enthused, to say the least. But then after my mother (a lover of all shows Ramsay) watched several episodes and raved about them, I felt compelled to at the very least check it out. You know how moms can be.

Torchwood: Miracle Day: Out With the Old, In With the New

It's not exactly a secret that I love Torchwood and that I was impatiently waiting for Friday night's season premiere. While there were some moments that were fantastic, a lot of it felt like set-up and left me underwhelmed. It seems like this 10-episode arc is trying too hard to bring in a new audience by debuting in the US on Starz before airing in the UK and moving the setting of the show stateside as well. Because of that, this isn't exactly the same show that I've loved all along. Then again, this episode didn't exactly make it easy for new viewers to jump right in. So its somewhere in the middle of the road and hopefully in the second episode they'll pick up the pace, get their groove back and everyone will have a clue what the hell is going on.

The Royal Wedding: A Televised Affair to Remember?

The royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William may have been over-hyped, but let's face it, it's like the Super Bowl for girls, gays and Brits and it only happens once in a blue moon, so how could we not get up at the crack of dawn to watch the breathless TV coverage? (It was also good preparation for how we'll have to wake up in the wee hours to watch the pentathlons, swimming competitions and rhythmic gymnastics from next year's Olympics in London.) If you opted to sleep in, here's what you missed:

What the Royal Wedding Could Learn From Game of Thrones

It seems like the entire world is focused on the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but we don't see what all the fuss is about. Sure, the British royals are occasionally great entertainment when they're being all majestic or scandalous, but they've got nothing on the royal families of Westeros. HBO's racy new fantasy series Game of Thrones will see your royal wedding and raise you an arranged marriage, an incestuous dalliance and a murder plot, and that's all in the first two episodes. Here are some traditions that the Windsors might want to consider adapting from Game of Thrones:

How American Showrunners Would Remake Doctor Who

Every new season of Doctor Who seems to bring with it people mumbling about the prospect of an American Doctor. Now, the Eighth Doctor would probably tell you that letting Americans have anything to do with Doctor Who is a bad idea, but considering the Doctor's significant (and growing) fanbase in the States, we suspect that SyFy or perhaps even Fox would potentially be interested in a remake. But how would they change the series, aside from eliminating the English accent that networks presume American viewers can't possibly comprehend? Here's how we think some of our favorite U.S. showrunners would adapt Who:

More Hats and Other Doctor Who Series 6 Suggestions

After David Tennant regenerated into Matt Smith, I was worried that Series 5 of Doctor Who would be hard to enjoy, but the Eleventh Doctor had won me over by the time he took his first bite of fish sticks and custard. The maudlin drama of the previous god-like Doctor had given way to a fairy tale full of fear and excitement as new showrunner Stephen Moffat finally moved the show out from under the shadow of the Time War. The Weeping Angels came back. Amy Pond didn't just pine away for the Doctor; she actually tried to jump his bones. And the Doctor's overt need to be the one who "makes people better" didn't quite feel so holier than thou. Of course, as much as I may love Eleven, Amy and Rory, there were several elements missing during Series 5 that I hope to see in the new season.

TAGS:
Torchwood: The Pros and Cons of a U.S. Remake

Fox is teaming up with Russell T. Davies to work on developing an Americanized version of the popular British show Torchwood. For those unfamiliar with it, it's a sci-fi series that involves a small team of crime fighters who deal primarily with the otherworldly. As a fan of the show, my initial reaction to the Fox news was of horror, and while I'm still highly skeptical that this remake should ever make it to the screen, there are some potentially good things about the idea. Here are the pros and cons of bringing Captain Jack across the Atlantic:

TV on DVD: Tuesday, October 20, 2009

It's a British Invasion this week, with two classic Brit TV series getting remastered and reissued, as well as a U.S. series starring a British actress playing an American, back when that wasn't an everyday occurrence. But there are a slew of very American TV shows to counter them, including one starring a famous American road. Yes, the show's star is a strip of asphalt.

<< 1 2 3
TWoP Toolbar

BLOG ARCHIVES

The Telefile

February 2012

21 Entries

January 2012

78 Entries

December 2011

49 Entries

November 2011

56 Entries

October 2011

74 Entries

September 2011

78 Entries

August 2011

61 Entries

July 2011

56 Entries

June 2011

57 Entries

May 2011

57 Entries

April 2011

78 Entries

March 2011

73 Entries

February 2011

57 Entries

January 2011

65 Entries

December 2010

39 Entries

November 2010

45 Entries

October 2010

46 Entries

September 2010

62 Entries

August 2010

55 Entries

July 2010

53 Entries

June 2010

65 Entries

May 2010

59 Entries

April 2010

57 Entries

March 2010

67 Entries

February 2010

53 Entries

January 2010

59 Entries

December 2009

32 Entries

November 2009

47 Entries

October 2009

65 Entries

September 2009

66 Entries

August 2009

58 Entries

July 2009

72 Entries

June 2009

71 Entries

May 2009

50 Entries

April 2009

57 Entries

March 2009

66 Entries

February 2009

52 Entries

January 2009

56 Entries

December 2008

51 Entries

November 2008

71 Entries

October 2008

88 Entries

September 2008

86 Entries

August 2008

120 Entries

July 2008

115 Entries

June 2008

90 Entries

May 2008

44 Entries

April 2008

30 Entries

March 2008

26 Entries

February 2008

30 Entries

January 2008

44 Entries

December 2007

31 Entries

November 2007

66 Entries