BLOGS
Recently in Skimming Across the Pond Category
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.
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.
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.
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 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:
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:
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:
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.
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:
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.
MOST RECENT POSTS
Downton Abbey: The House's Biggest Feuds
Absolutely Fabulous: Reunited and It Feels So Normal
Why Great Escape Is Gordon Ramsay's Most Enjoyable Show
Torchwood: Miracle Day: Out With the Old, In With the New
The Royal Wedding: A Televised Affair to Remember?
What the Royal Wedding Could Learn From Game of Thrones
How American Showrunners Would Remake Doctor Who
More Hats and Other Doctor Who Series 6 Suggestions
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