TV's Austin and Autism

The BBC recently aired a series called Austin (named after the main character) who is on the autism spectrum - as is the actor who plays him7, Michael Theo.

If you haven't yet seen it, the overall direction of the story is somewhat predictable, although the journey is interesting. Ben Miller's character (Julian) is a children's book author and Sally Phillips plays his wife (Ingrid), the illustrator. Austin seeks out Julian and tells him that he is his son from before he married Ingrid.

It's a slow start but stick with it. To cut to the chase, Julian is self-centred and the viewers know that the story is engineered to end with him becoming a better person. But does he? To find out, you'll need to watch the last episode - and all the other episodes, even if some of them are a little frustrating.

Interestingly, Billie Piper makes an appearance as 'herself' (but not really herself). Other noteworthy characters include Austin's Grandad, his mum, his step-sister plus the journalist friend he makes towards the end of the series.

Verdict: give it a go. 

Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise

Having watched every single episode of Death in Paradise (most of them twice), there's a lot to discuss. So first, let's review Beyond Paradise which features DI Humphrey Goodman who finished his stint on the fictional Caribbean island of Sainte Marie.

Humphrey (Kris Marshall) and Martha (Sally Bretton) live in Cornwall where there seem to be as many deaths to solve as there were on Sainte Marie. It's not as compelling as a weekly trip to the sun in January but the cast members hold their own, reflecting the setup of their Caribbean counterparts. There's a female DS, the young naive constable with potential, the efficient wordly-wise office administrator, and the annoying off-site boss (a women, which is par for the course in terms of British TV police hierarchy). But where is the bar owner, I hear you ask... this is most likely the Sally Bretton role, as she owns and runs a nearby catering establishment.

It's a cosy watch but I would love Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules) to pop by, when he's visiting his relatives in London!

Caribbean or Cornwall

Death in Paradise has seen five British detectives heading up the office on the French island, overseen by the same commissioner (played by Don Warrington, who I first remember from Rising Damp, many years ago) and who now seems to be retiring. The other character to appear frequently in every series is Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine) who owns the local hostelry, is Mayor of the island, long-time friend to Selwyn (Commissioner) and mother of Camille, once a DS at Sainte Marie whose career moved her to France, where she has now settled.

DI #1 Richard Poole played by Ben Miller (series 1-3) 

DI #2 Humphrey Goodman played by Kris Marshall (series 3-6) 

DI #3 Jack Mooney played by Ardal O'Hanlon (series 6-9)

DI #4 Neville Parker played by Ralph Little (series 9-13) 

DI #5 Mervin Wilson played by Don Gilet (current) 

One of the great things about Death in Paradise is that the storylines occasionally include visits from some of the gone-but-not-forgotten characters. Long may it continue.

Reacher - Serialisation on Amazon Prime

There have been three TV series to date and they don't follow the books precisely but this is quite normal. Series one was based on the first book, Killing Floor, series three was based on book seven (probably my least favourite of the Reacher books I've read so far - too much action for me but others may prefer it).

Whereas the books seem to be in chronological order, the series are random. I'm not even sure which book the second series is based on, as I haven't read it yet.

Did I enjoy the series? Yes, mostly. I like the character's strengths, even if does take things to the extreme and has to have a bed-mate everywhere he travels. I say extreme because the character is very physical whereas I'm weedy and also a pacifist - why fight with fists or weapons when you can keep your distance and try to work out what to do? Reacher is not quite a vigilante but he will, very effectively, sort things out his way, rather than hand matters to an over-stretched, bound-by-rules police force.

However, those would be different stories, such as Ludwig or Patience, who like solving puzzles.

Coping with January

If you're lucky, you'll be at a ski resort. However, this is a 'comfort post' for the rest of us. 

Outside, it's currently cold, wet, windy and grey in the UK. One way of dealing with this is retail therapy but, even with the sales prices, this can be very expensive - as can be eating at a restaurant. Cheaper indoor alternatives include: ten-pin bowling, roller- or ice-skating, going to a café or pub or watching a film at the cinema. 

... But instead of spending money to see one film, maybe take advantage of all the streaming services you have at home on your massive new TV that you bought yourself in the after-Christmas sale? Even if you only have a medium TV and no additional streaming services (such as Netflix, Prime or Disney+), most people have access to BBC i-player - and this is critical in January - to binge-watch all the "Death in Paradise" series from Ben Miller onwards. Each episode in an hour-long visit to the Caribbean. It's perfect for me to lose myself in the aesthetic, never mind the stories, which are so predictable that we guessed 'whodunnit' as soon as we see the characters (or possibly, the actors playing those parts). 

There are almost 100 episodes so that should see you through the worst of January and possibly February.

Meanwhile, here are some Caribbean images for you to sigh over...

 

 

At sunset in the warm Caribbean, you can stroll along the coast and find a number of restaurants and bars overlooking the sea. At home, where the temperatures are cooler, you could chill with some cocktails or rum punch - or hug a mug of hot chocolate as you dream of being alive in paradise!

Debut Novel by Richard Armitage

Actor Richard Armitage has written his first novel, a thriller, titled Geneva. According to the 'blurb' it's not a particularly happy book, with the main character showing signs of early onset Alzheimer's. It is, however, described as "Outstanding" by popular writer Harlan Coben, whose televised books often had major roles for Armitage. And, to be fair, he was good in them, as befitting an award winning star of screen and TV. He seems to portray the complexities of characters, mixing darkness and vulnerability. Personally, my favourite of his roles was the TV series of Robin Hood where his portrayal of Guy of Gisborne moved from unlikeable to hero. He was also in the sit-com, The Vicar of Dibley, which was fun.

Anyway, back to the book. 

It centres around Sarah, a not-so-average woman, the winner of a Nobel award for a medical science breakthrough who has retired to be a mother to her daughter. Her husband is also in the medical profession and her father is in a care facility, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia. Sarah fears that she is exhibiting signs of early-onset Alzheimer's and is persuaded to endorse a new, revolutionary technology from a Swiss pharmaceutical research institute. (Don't worry, the story is aimed at ordinary people who need have no knowledge of the technical details of the plot.)

Geneva is the setting throughout virtually the whole book, which grows more intense with every chapter. Perhaps too intense for some but it's an easy read and the 'baddies' get their come-uppance.

I read the whole book with Richard Armitage cast as Sarah's husband.

White Collar (TV series)

Following rumours, earlier this year, of a return or reboot, I've started watching White Collar, a TV series from more than ten years ago, which is currently being shown on the Disney+ channel.

I'm currently at the point where Neal Caffrey, master forger and con artist, is at a crossroads for his future. He likes his new life as a reformed con on a four-year probation seconded to the FBI in New York; he has friendships with his old buddy Mozz, his landlady June, his love interest Sara and the FBI team, including his 'boss' Peter Burke and Peter's wife Elizabeth. 

Although he is trying to be a good guy, his past keeps catching up with him. In this part of the series, Neal is covering for Mozz, who has taken possession of a billion dollars of  artefacts that were stolen from the Russians by Nazis during WWII. Mozz is planning to retire to an island, using the treasure as his pension, and wants Neal to join him. Neal has just said no so Mozz and the artefacts have disappeared. 

Unfortunately, a clever and greedy killer, Matthew Keller, will stop at nothing to steal this 'treasure'. However, Neal, Mozz and Peter are also clever so the battle is on. They 'goodies' win, of course, which leads to something good...

There may be a follow up post when I finish watching the series.

NOTE: the island was supposedly Cape Verde but was actually filmed in Costa Rica. 

David Mitchell: Comedian, Author, Actor.

I've watched two TV series starring David Mitchell as the lead actor. The first was Upstart Crow, a comedy set around the time of Shakespeare, in which there were funny moments but, overall, I wasn't bothered about it. I much prefer his story-telling, rants and banter with Lee Mack on 'WILTY'.

The other series, which was the recently aired Ludwig, is described as a 'Comedy drama, Detective, Mystery' - which I did enjoy. Here is a link to the official trailer from the BBC for Ludwig.

I have a couple of books written by David Mitchell. They're a bit exhausting, in my opinion. The short rants that make me smile on TV don't transfer well into long, rambling book form. But, if you appreciate well crafted rants on general topics of life, you really need to visit David Mitchell's Soapbox. Here's an example:

In conclusion, his quick thinking interaction on WILTY (would I lie to you) are top class, his characters on TV can be good but his books are a bit too much for me.

Manifest - TV series - Review

Oddly, the first, second and fourth series is on Netflix but the third series was on Sky/Now TV (in the UK). 

Should you watch Manifest? Read below and decide.

It started as a mystery - a plane and its passengers disappeared, to arrive five years later. Unlike the people who had been mourning them, assuming them to be dead, the passengers hadn't aged. It was as if they had been in suspended animation for that time. Most noticeable were the twins - a girl aged about 15 (who was not on the flight) and her twin brother (who was on the flight) had remained about ten years old.

The passengers were unaware of anything being amiss until they landed. For them, it was a normal flight, a few hours in the air.

As the story progressed, it became more surreal. "God" was setting tasks for the passengers, who received their 'callings' in their heads, sometimes shared with others, as vague puzzles to be solved. Driving the quest to resolve the 'callings' was Ben (father of the aforementioned twins) and his sister, Mick (Michaela).

There were three other instances of people cheating death, temporarily, which led to the conslusion that the world would end in a finite time.

Skipping ahead to the fourth series, we are now familiar with all the characters. Key to resolving the mystery are: Ben and Mick Stone (mentioned above), Ben's family, especially his son, Cal, and Dr Saanvi Bahl. Additionally, non-passengers, Jared, Drea and Vance, provide help and support with the tasks. Last, but not least, is Zeke, an anomaly.

To quote K from Men In Black, "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals ..."

Mob mentality means that a growing number of people mistrust the people from the plane, many think that they are aliens. Others consider that they perform miracles and they form cults (remember, this is America). The Government, which has been conducting illegal experiments on some passengers to see if the callings can be replicated and possibly weaponised, eventually treats them as criminals.

Obviously, without proof, the 'outside world' does not buy in to "the world will end tomorrow" theory. It's down to the Stone family to defeat the odds. 

The end of the series will be: (1) the good guys save the world, (2) they got it wrong and life goes on, possibly without them, or (3) the world ends. If you plan to watch it but don't want spoilers, stop reading. Otherwise... 

 

Conclusion.

1. The story would have been better in three series rather than four, which dragged it out a bit. However, those four seasons covered five years so, arguably, it could have been dragged out even longer. 

2. I've omitted some of the major plot details, such as Cal's leukaemia and a main player, Angelina. This will leave something to discover for those who plan to watch the series. Zeke is also difficult to classify here so viewers will have his character to look forward to.

3. SPOILER ALERT: The ending was inevitable - but nicely tied up the loose ends. Except for Cal, whose journey was slightly different from the others, most of the passengers who survived did so with their memories intact. 

4. MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: The flight landed as scheduled, five years before the main story took place. People were reunited. Lives continued, possibly better than they woud have done. Mick found Zeke.

The Watch (Discworld)

Not to be confused with the not-very-good 2012 comedy film, this review is about the TV series that was inspired by Terry Pratchett's Discworld books.

I love the Discworld books. Over the years, I've read them at least three times each, so maybe I'm a little biased with this review. The question is... in which direction?

In my opinion, the criticism that this TV series received was unwarranted, a gut-reaction from people who were expecting something else. It's not a TV adaptation of the books but is inspired by them. For example, some of The Watch members are physically inaccurate when compared with the descriptions in the books - but where do you find actors with the physical characteristics of the more unusual Discworld characters? I prefer not to see an overuse of CGI in place of actors.

I enjoyed the series. It was entertaining and I thought two of the best characters portrayed were Richard Dormer's Sam Vimes and Jo Eaton-Kent's Constable Cheery.

If you haven't formed your own fixed ideas of what this series should be, give it a try. I watched it twice and now I have the DVD-set so that I can watch The Watch whenever I want.

The series is no longer available via BBC iplayer but the DVD-set is currently under £10 on Amazon. There are also trailers on YouTube that provide a taster.

Also available are DVDs of: The Colour of Magic, Hogfather and Going Postal - plus Discworld books, of course.

By the way, I found the opinions of another film & series reviewer on IMDB to be quite interesting, too.

Do You Remember "The Full Monty" ?

Some of the cast from the 1997 British film have returned for The Full Monty TV mini series, notably Robert Carlyle and Paul Barber - and some new characters, too, such as Gaz's daughter, Destiny. 

Set in Sheffield, the fortunes of some of the team haven't improved since the film. In particular, Horse (Paul Barber, maybe you know him as Denzil from Only Fools and Horses) is in poverty and unfit for work but is having his state benefits cut. 

The episodes cover various stories. Just like real life, many of the storylines run through several episodes but some small plots are self-contained. For example, Gaz's son is a policeman who is often embarrassed by his dad's dodgy capers. He has a disabled son who Gaz is determined to help by buying a modern wheelchair but, unfortunately, he has no money. Gaz is also trying to help his daughter get into music college. 

Dave (Mark Addy) is married to Jean (Lesley Sharp) who is now a school head, Lomper is married to Dennis and they are owners of a corner café where the old gang congregate on what seems like a daily basis.

Verdict: a little scatty, annoying in parts but humorous. It's like a mini-soap but, thankfully, is funny and doesn't drag on for fifty years! If you like British 'characters' then it is worth a few hours of your TV time.

Image is  AI & NOT from The Full Monty!

 

Red Eye Review

Not to be confused with the 2005 film. ITVX is really annoying with its ads but for the TV series, Red Eye featuring Richard Armitage, it was worth putting up with them (thanks to the mute button). 

In some ways, the story was typical of other MI5/MI6 political shennanigans with its own twist at the end but it was well told and well acted. It was also fast paced, which encourages binge-watching!

Main cast: 

• Richard Armitage as Dr Matthew Nolan
• Jing Lusi as DC Hana Li
• Lesley Sharp as Madeline Delaney,  Head of MI5
  

Nolan had been to a conference in Beijing but, on arrival in London, he is arrested by DC Li for a crime that he claims not to have committed and is promptly returned on the next fight, alongside some of his colleagues, who were required to give testimony at his trial in China. 

This seems unusual. Normally, extradition takes forever. Something is definitely fishy. The head of MI5 seems to think so, too, and half the story is dedicated to unravelling this mystery.

During the flight back to Beijing, there were four deaths and the other half of the story takes place in the air, looking for whoever was doing the killings - and why. 

Not sure what more I can say without spoilers so meander over to ITVX and check it out for yourselves.

Review - The Night Agent

Amenadiel (Lucifer's brother) returns in the guise of Erik Monks in Season 1 of The Night Agent - an actor I like, playing a character I like... Here follows my review of The Night Agent.

Based on a book by author Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent has been brought to our screens by Netflix and, wow, it's fast-paced action all the way. 

The basic story is that Peter Sutherland (junior) is driven to find the truth about Peter Sutherland (senior, deceased) but other things get in the way, such as saving Rose Larkin from being killed. 

Rose witnessed the murder of her aunt and uncle in their own home. Aware that professional assassins were outside their house and death was imminent, Rose was instructed to escape, head for a neighbour's house, dial a specific telephone number, repeat a code and request immediate help. The number goes through to The White House, the person who receives her call is Peter.

Twists and turns of the plot - not knowing who can be trusted because Rose had overheard her aunt and uncle (both Night Agents) discussing that there is a traitor in The White House - have Peter and Rose on the run from both 'goodies' and 'baddies'. Eventually, the story culminates at Camp David. For me, this was the point where the production seemed disjointed, as if the film editor wasn't sure about what scenes to include and in what order. Anyway, despite several deaths throughout the series, the show concluded with an 'okay' ending.

Some of the cast from Season 1 will be returning for a second series, expected later this year: 

• Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland
• Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin
• Hong Chau as Diane Farr
• Sarah Desjardins as Maddie Redfield
• Christopher Shyer as Vice President Redfield
• Fola Evans-Akingbola as Chelsea Arrington 

It was good enough for me to watch the next series when it's released.

Review - Slow Horses

The next series of Slow Horses is rumoured to be released on AppleTV+ in Autumn 2024. So... are we looking forward to this?

Absolutely. It's a bit of a weird show. Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) heads up a team of 'frowned-upon' government agents, ones who are being punished for messing up in some way. But, of course, this is the team that, under Oldman's character's guidance, continues to successfully take down 'baddies' where other agents have failed - and without any praise or acknowledgement, obviously. 

Jackson Lamb's boss, Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas), is the only one who appreciates the team's worth but it suits her to keep it to herself, a kind of secret backup team. 

The main characters are:

• Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
• Jack Lowden as River Cartright
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner
  

It's not obvious why River Cartwright is the agent who is singled out for top billing but he is certainly the agent who is featured the most in the series. 

When I've suggested to friends that they might enjoy this series, I've felt compelled to warn them about Gary Oldman's character. He's repulsive - you can almost smell him when he appears onto your TV set. Eventually, though, this renegade makes you appreciate his experience, tactics and so much more. 

And the humour makes me smile. 

If you're thinking of watching the new series, take the next few months to bring yourself up to date with the three previous seasons. According to AppleTV+: 

      

Fool Me Once (NetFlix Series)

I'd never come across author Harlan Coben until recently when his name kept cropping up - his work is all over Netflix. I've not yet read any of his books and, so far, I've seen only one TV serialisation of a book, Fool Me Once, by screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst. This was compelling and I watched the eight episodes over two evenings. 

The book was set in/near New York but the Netflix series was set in England, starring Joanna Lumley, Richard Armitage, Michelle Keegan, Marcus Garvey and Adeel Akhtar. 

The plot has twists and turns and the main storyline is essentially about the rich and powerful buying off (or killing off) anyone who could damage their reputation and therefore wealth. Knowing who to believe and who can be trusted provides the tension. 

A secondary storyline is about the ordinary people whose lives are disrupted by events from the main storyline. This provides the break between the shenanigens of the 'unreal' world of deceit and death, which is as far from the ordinary viewing public's lives as any sci-fi. That said, it's a gripping series and worthy of inclusion in your list of things to watch. 

Feel free to leave a comment if you agree, disagree or wish to add your views in any way. 

Ted Lasso and Wrexham

I often confused one story with the other. Ted Lasso was a brilliant TV series about a fictional football team based in London, whereas the other was a documentary of a real team in Wales, Wrexham.

Both were of interest to me, with my roots in both places.

I first discovered Ted Lasso (10 years ago - before the series hit the TV screens) when Jason Sudeikis played the character as coach at Tottenham Hotspur.

(My nephew is also a coach, currently employed by his dream team, 'Spurs. He appears in several of their videos, social media, etc.)

Moving on to the Wrexham story, Rob McElhenney persuaded Ryan Reynolds to jointly invest in the club and they have made such a difference! They've thrown themselves wholeheartedly into every aspect of the club and community. I'll be interested to see how far they can go.

And, yes, I've visited the ground at the invitation of the then owner Pryce Griffiths. Following his retirement and sale of the club, Wrexham AFC suffered years of turmoil until fans raised the money to rescue the club from administration. Rob and Ryan stepped in when finances were low and the rest will eventually be history.

As for Ted Lasso, it was always going to end after the third season and it was a great finalé. 

 

Tough Guys with a Soft Centre

I really, really do not like traditional heroine stories from a bygone era. This also extends to most romance books and films, traditionally written from a woman's viewpoint, where she falls in love with the strong silent hero, for example.

That doesn't happen these days, does it? Oddly, I find myself fascinated by certain characters who are tough guys with a soft centre.

To focus on two actors who play these characters very well, Adam Baldwin and Christian Kane (both who were up for the part of Jayne Cobb in Firefly and, I believe, are friends), I'll refer to the TV series (plural) Chuck and Leverage.

By the end of Chuck, I found that the story of the main two co-stars had played out but I was left wanting to know more about John Casey, whose character developed brilliantly as the series progressed. 

In Leverage, Eliot Spencer was a straightforward yet complex person and I wanted to see more of him. But... did I want to know more about him? Debateable, given his brief descriptions of his past deeds. And it was great to see that Adam Baldwin had a guest appearance in S5. As far as Eliot goes, I'm delighted that, not only has Leverage:Redemption now aired but Christian Kane has the lead role in Almost Paradise, where he plays a similar character - tough, soft, not quite loveable.

Having read an old interview with Christian Kane about adapting to his role in The Librarians (a series that I've been trying to watch for a while, having seen a Librarians movie, but it's an additional cost over and above paying for Prime/Freevee), I'm even more intrigued to watch his portrayal. There's a rumour of bringing back a new series of The Librarians but, of course, everything from the 'States is taking forever because of the Writers' strike. Money-grabbing studio execs are trying to save money on paying writers and supporting actors/extras. Wow, big businesses are greedy - who would've guessed!

I haven't seen Angel, where both actors have roles, because I wasn't keen on Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I guess that has to be on my list? I'm just curious to see how AB & CK fit these different characters.

Conclusion: the strong, silent hero is alive and well in the 21st Century. In the UK, Chuck, Leverage and Leverage:Redemption are free with Prime (I think that Firefly and Serenity are also available - but to buy).

Your relevant comments are welcome.

Star Trek & Picard

I've been simultaneously re-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and watching Picard for the first time. Still many series to go with Next Gen but, before I begin watching Picard S2, I decided to review S1. 

The first episode was a bit of a struggle as the story was being established but, as the series progressed and the characters were introduced, it became very good. 

Bruce Maddox was featured in Picard and, by coincidence, he popped up in the episode of Next Gen that I was watching. Without giving too much away, there were some 'old friends' from the USS Enterprise popping up in the series, too. 

Picard 'died' in s1 but, obviously, there was no panic over this storyline if watching it now because s2 is already available and s3 has just been wrapped. That, incidentally, will be the final series. 

The new characters bonded throughout series one and now I'm looking forward to the next adventures of Jean-Luc with Chris Rios on his ship, La Sirena, with Elnor, Soji, Raffi, Seven of Nine, and Agnes. 

Meanwhile, lots of re-watching to do for the Next Generation. Then maybe Deep Space 9 and maybe Enterprise. I've never seen Discovery or Voyager - would anyone like to recommend them to me?

UPDATE

I've now watched S2 and it was darker, with Chris Rios bringing a little light relief. It ended OK-ish though. Now waiting for S3...

British Comedy Awards 2012

I'm pleased that my new BFF Jo Brand won an award and Lee Mack was deservedly Best TV Comic (male).

However... many of the nominations/awards went to programmes that I've never even heard of!!! Hunderby - what/when/why? If this was completely off my radar, despite TV promos, twitter and internet browsing, who voted for it?

Also, the clips shown for nominated sit-coms that I hadn't seen certainly didn't make me feel I'd missed anything. Were they badly selected or can un-funny stuff win awards? (Well, yes it can.)

I'm disappointed that I couldn't agree with most nominations or winners but, because I hadn't seen these (new?) programmes, I couldn't disagree either. Weird.