What if Lost had been made in the 60's?

I think if I openly acknowledge how ridiculous the show has gotten, I can justify still being completely obessed with it. Hence, the second video I've posted this week that makes fun of Lost.

Guess the ending of Lost!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

So what did people think of the Season 6 premiere of Lost? Confused? Yeah me too, don't feel bad.

That being said, I totally loved it. I mean, that bit with the monster? And then that stuff? And Desmond on the plane? Alternate realities?!

Sigh. I need help.

Poll question: What TV show should I watch next? Also, results of a now redundant poll!

If there's one thing us bloggers seem to love, it's polls. I think the reason for this is because they make us feel loved; even if someone just accidentally stumbles across our blog on their way to pornography, the levels of effort required to participate in a poll are so minuscule that odds are they'll click on one of the options anyway. Thus we can convince ourselves that more people read our sites than is actually the case.

For example, in a poll about two weeks ago, I asked you what movie I should watch after finishing my exams; the results where as follows



So it looks like The Coen Brother's come out on top with A Serious Man. Unfortunately, this poll was predicated on the idea that I was a diligent student and would be able to hold off on going to the movies for over two weeks. However this is not the case, and I ended up going to see a total of three movies over my exam period: The Box, The Brothers Bloom as well as An Education. I really enjoyed all three, but this could have been coloured somewhat by the fact that anything beats studying for chemistry.

Anyway, thanks for the advice everyone one, even though I basically ignored it. I should say that while the initial purpose of the poll was lost, I still fully plan on seeing A Serious Man (as well as probably all the other films listed as options) once I do in fact finish my exams (in 24 hours and 12 minutes).

And as I said, all bloggers love polls. So even though the previous one turned out to be pretty much a total waste of time, I'm gonna try another one. While my movie viewing has been pretty healthy during my exams, my television habit has suffered severely. I'm a big TV on DVD person, but I currently have over half a dozen box sets sitting on my shelf that I am yet to touch.

So, once again, I've decided to let you decide which one I crack into first once my exams and an extensive period of celebration (read: drinking) have passed. And this time, I promise to actually follow your advice.

Here are your options:

Teaser Trailer - 24 Season 8

Although 24 is by no means the best television program ever made, or even necessarily my favourite, it is definitely the show that I anticipate most each year. From the quadruple crosses to the absurd twists to the almost constant Kim-getting-kidnapped subplots (please just die already), this show is insanely tense, and Jack Bauer might just be one of the most watchable heroes ever put to screen.

I powered through Season 1-6 on DVD a few years back and loved them all (yes, even Season 6, despite how retarded it is), and Season 7 managed to bring new life to the franchise while not abandoning all the ridiculous tropes that we love. This show means an enormous amount to me, and in fact one of my closest friendships was founded on our mutual love for Jack and his flag-waving terrorist-torturing shenanigans.

And now, with Season 8 just a few months away, a teaser trailer has been released, and I am, unsurprisingly, drooling (I've watched it about 10 times already). It's a little annoying to see Kim taking centre stage again, but whatever. The setup isn't anything new either - Jack wants to settle down, but some contact from his past draws him back into the fold for another reluctant adventure. Cliched? Of course. Awesome? Absolutely.



24 Season 8 will premiere on FOX on January 17th

Source: The Cultural Post

Dr. Horrible wins, hijacks the Emmys

I could normally care less about who won at the Emmys (although if I had to guess it would be some combination of Mad Men and Tina Fey), but one thing I did get excited about was Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, which won for "Outstanding Special Class - Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs" (or as the director Joss Whedon puts it, "the award for most incomprehensible category"). Of course, The Doctor wasn't satisfied with just winning - he also had to take control of the entire ceremony (albeit briefly). Check out the hilarious results below, as well as Whedon's acceptance speech.





If you haven't seen Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, check it out on iTunes. I ended up rewatching the entire thing after seeing this video, and it's still incredible. Great music, really funny, and also really touching. Whedon and co. hits another one out of the park!

The Wire comes to ABC2

Anyone in Australia who owns a television would be mad if they didn't tune in to ABC2 tonight at 9:30 for the Australian premiere of the first season of The Wire. A cop drama set in Baltimore, this is perhaps one of the greatest television programs ever conceived. I myself discovered the series earlier this year on DVD after hearing it's universal praise, and to be honest, I was a little puzzled about all the acclaim. At least I was at first. This show is certainly a slow burner, with a lot of different characters and plot threads to keep track of. But trust me, if you pay attention and stick with it, you're in for one of the richest and most rewarding experiences you are ever likely to get from your television screen. And if you can't stand watching a mere one episode a week (I know I wouldn't be able to), the first four seasons are available on DVD. So tune it, and be part of the conversation.

Knock knock. Who's there? Children with terminal diseases. Children with terminal diseases...who?

This week, many Australian's were shocked and appalled by a skit on The Chaser's War on Everything (a very popular sketch comedy/political satire program) entitled "Make A Realistic Wish", which spoofed the Make A Wish Foundation. Take a look at the clip, below.



(if the video doesn't play, alternative links can be found here, here & here)

I don't actually think that they were making fun of the kids so much as they were the Make A Wish Foundation, but it didn't really come across that way, and I'm really interested in finding out what other people think about this. There has been a fairly strong public outcry to the sketch; the ABC has put the show on hiatus for the next fortnight, and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that the Chaser team "should hang their heads in shame." But too often the people who get outraged are those who are prone to indignant outbursts at the slightest thing anyway, and so I want to here from you. Do you think they went to far, or was this just a very funny piece of satire?

Personally...I think it's funny. It is in incredibly poor taste, and I can completely understand why people are upset, but I won't deny that I was amused. You do have to admit that as a spoof of "inspirational" commercials, it's dead on, right down to the awful music and blurred outlines. At the same time, it's not as though it had a strong political point; essentially it's just mean. I guess I'm in two minds. One the one hand I don't approve of censorship and like to think that everything is ripe for satire. But on the other hand, I hate to imagine what it would be like watching this sketch if I or someone I loved was dying of a terminal illness. Perhaps the Chaser team should have had the tact not to put this one to air. Please leave your thoughts (if you have any) below.

Review - 24 Season 7

Warning: The following contains spoilers for the seventh season of 24

The seventh season of one of my favourite shows wrapped up this week, and I thought I'd share my thoughts with the world. Overall I loved Day 7, and would put it up with Day 2 and Day 5 as one of the best seasons of 24. Tony Almedia has always been my favourite character, and despite the ridiculous explanation for the Resurrection of his character (made even more unlikely by the seasons ending), I really enjoyed seeing him back in action. Jeffrey Nordling and Annie Wersching made excellent additions to the cast as FBI Agents Larry Moss and Renee Walker. And Kiefer Sutherland...I daren't say a bad word against him lest he show up to my house and torture my ass.

Despite the move from L.A. to D.C., the show didn't really change much. We still got the moles, the violation of civil liberties for the greater good, the terrorist plots that were really just distractions from the main terrorist plot, the deaths of beloved characters, the thrilling and often totally superfluous cliffhangers that were resolved within the first 90 seconds of the next episode, the impenetrable tech-talk and the awful, awful dialogue (How many times can the villain say "you'll find out soon enough"?). They even managed to write in a Kim gets kidnapped subplot (albeit one that didn't last for very long). And of course, by episode 18 the season had gone completely off the rails, incorporating one to many twists and completely contradicting half the things that were laid out earlier on.

So after all that, how can I say I that I loved it? Simple. 24 is a show the revels in it's ridiculousness, in it's totally seperation from reality. One could argue that perhaps season 1 at least tried to be grounded in reality - but lets not forget the Teri amnesia sub plot, or that the last episode features Jack driving through a wall wielding duel pistols. But since season 2, the show has been as outlandish as they come. Nuclear bombs, presidential assassinations, bio-weapons and...nuclear bombs are just some of the threats that Jack Bauer has prevented. But no matter how absurd things get, the show plays in completely straight, and we cannot but help but be dragged into the story. Even if what we are being told makes no sense given what we were told in the previous episode, it's still so fast paced and action packed - and delivered with such stone faced bravado - that we buy it.

Of course, the show could never work without Jack. Back in March, I posted (with the help of my equally 24-obsessed friends) a list of Jack Bauer's top ten badass moments. But that was really only the tip of the iceberg. Every episode, Jack does something incredible, something that makes us want to drink several cans of energy drink and then go punch a terrorist. The highlight in this season was probably when he lured a mercenary into a portable office in a construction sight, and then flipped it over with a forklift. Bauer is an action hero like no other, because unlike John McClane or even James Bond, he gets to amaze us an hour every week. And we keep wanting more.

I want now to discuss this season specifically. First, the acting: I was very disappointed by Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor and Jon Voight as Jonas Hodges (the main villain...who of course later turns out to not be the main villain, but only a minor player in a far larger conspiracy). The latter because he didn't seem to be try very hard, and the former because she seemed to be trying very hard...but simply isn't a very good actress. I also thought Janeane Garofalo was awful as Janis Gold, but that wasn't a disappointment, because I always knew she'd be terrible (I suspect she won't be in Season 8). On the positive side, Carlos Bernard was very good as Tony, especially in the last episode. Bob Gunton and Colm Feore where both underused, but shone when they had the chance. I was most impressed by Sprague Grayden as the scheming First Daughter.

There are a two plot points that I didn't like this year that I want to address. The first is Bill Buchanan's death. I've come to accept that this show could kill off any one of my favourite characters at any given moment, but his death really bothered me. I thought it was cheap and unnecessary; it seemed as though the writers had a body quota to fill. When Larry Moss died later on in the season it had a much bigger emotional impact even though we didn't know him as well, because it felt as though the writers had earned it. I was sad to see him go, as I had really begun to like him as the 'voice of reason'. But I could accept his death because it felt natural.

The other thing that really bothered me was the very overtly apologetic nature of the season, specifically in regards to Muslims. Over the course of it's seven years, 24 has had many Muslim villains, and understandably this has upset members of the Muslim community. This season endeavored to show that not all Arabs are terrorists: in the last six episodes, the villains attempt to frame a Arabic man for a bioweapon attack. I actually really liked this arc, and empathised with the poor guy a great deal, but it still felt very manufactured. Then, in the final episode, as Jack lies dying in hospital (don't worry, he'll get better), he gets a visit from a Muslim cleric who he threatened earlier in the season. That whole scene rang very false, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Of course there were other negatives, but these were the only two that really bothered me. And the positives more than made up for them. There was no specifically awesome point I want to get into, because 95% of Season 7 had me on the edge of my seat. The action was some of the best that the show has ever had, and some of the twists and subplots were legitimately brilliant . And of course, I await Jack's return in Season 8 with bated breath.

But not until January 2010. "Son of a bitch!"

24 Season 7 will be available on DVD in Australia from July 8th

Review - Lost Season 5

WARNING: The following review contains heavy spoilers for the first five seasons of Lost.

With the exception of 24, Lost is probably my favourite television program that is currently on the air. It a complex, frustrating mess of a series, but never the less I am hooked, and have been for the past five years. The fascinating mythology, excellent characters and thrilling twists and turns more than make up for the complete bafflement I feel each and every week as the writers seemingly dig themselves further and further into a hole of plot inconsistencies from which they cannot escape. Season five – which ended this week with a bang – has been the shows most outlandish season to date. Time travel, resurrection, immortality and psychic powers have all been introduced as the show dived head first into the waters of science-fiction television. But despite the fact that Lost now bares no resemblance to that show about a group of people whose plane crashed on an island somewhere, it is still absolutely gripping.

The season can basically be broken up into two halves. The first half consists of episodes 1 to 7, which focus on Ben and Jack (and later Locke) in 2007 as they attempt to convince the other members of the Oceanic Six to return to the island. Meanwhile, thanks to the actions of Ben at the end of Season 4, the remain island dweller skip through time, finally coming to a rest in 1974. The second half of the season is set in 1977; Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, Miles and Daniel have been living on the Island for three years and have become part of the Dharma Initiative, but when Jack, Sayid, Kate and Hurley arrive at the island in that same time period their lives are again thrown into chaos. Simultaneously, Ben, Sun and Frank Lapidus have also returned, but for reasons unknown they remain in the present era, where they contend with the machinations of John Locke and the mysterious survivors of Ajira Airways flight 316.

Put simply, I loved the first half of this season. The off Island story was fantastic, especially the premiere episodes Because You Left and The Lie. Michael Emerson continues to amaze in his role as Benjamin Linus, a character who is shown this season to be far more vulnerable than we previous knew. Hurley, Sayid and Jack are all given plenty of great moments; the only real letdown is the boring Kate/Aaron sub-plot. The on Island story was also good; Miles and Daniel are finally getting some decent screen time, and it’s really interesting seeing Sawyer is a leadership role. The big problem here was that the death of the under-developed character Charlotte didn’t have any emotional impact. Still, these first seven episodes were amongst the best this show has ever had.

The season starts to falter with the Sawyer-centric episode LaFleur, which marks the beginning of the 1977 story. The first thing that bothered me was that everyone just accepted that they travelled back in time; for several episodes Kate, Jack and Hurley just wander around the Dharma barracks not doing anything. The other problem is that we miss three years of character development for Miles, Sawyer and Juliet (from 1974 to 1977.) The first few episodes of the season’s second half weren’t all that great, but there was still enough to sustain my interest. Dead is Dead, the season’s Ben-centric episode, was magnificent – people should watch this show for Emerson’s performance alone (the episode also saw the reappearance of The Monster…sorry; still don’t know what the hell it is). Miles has stepped into the sarcastic role that was once filled by Sawyer, and has some great banter with Hurley. Ultimately, I was a little turned off by the new direction the show was taking, but after a few slow episodes the story started moving forward (around episode 14, entitled The Variable) and I was captivated once again.

Which brings me to the finale: the two part episode entitled The Incident. There were a few problems with this episode (most notably the actions of Juliet and Kate and an awful scene featuring the long absent Rose & Bernard), but I still thought it was satisfying as hell. The flashbacks gave us a look at some of the most integral moments in the characters lives, and finally introduced us to the mysterious Jacob, who has been flitting around just off screen for over two seasons. The episode ended on a cliff-hanger, but those who have seen it will know that it was a little different to what we usually get. We have no idea how the show will continue into its last season (which will begin airing in January 2010) – will the crash of Oceanic 815 be prevented, and if so what does it mean for our beloved characters?

After looking back, I think that Season Five was a real redemption point for this show, for the simple reason that the writers have stopped screwing around. No more stalling, no more pointless flashbacks: there is an end date, and we are hurtling towards it at breakneck speed. There were enough mysteries explained in this season to reinvigorate my faith in an ultimate conclusion that will explain what the hell we have been watching…whether it will be satisfying remains to be seen. To all the haters out there, let me say that Lost is an immersive experience, and if you can accept the fact that it is a science-fiction show, you should definitely check it out once it hits DVD in its entirety. And to all the loyal fans…just don’t give up.

The first four seasons of Lost are available on DVD now. Season five will be available later this year.

Jack Bauer's 10 Most Badass Moments

Warning: The following contains HEAVY SPOILERS for the first six seasons of 24.

I am currently halfway through season 7 of 24, which I think is proving to be one of the strongest in the shows history. Tony is back, Agent Renee Walker is smoking and Jack Bauer is as mind crushingly awesome as ever. But this new season has given me a case of nostalgia, and so I though I'd take a look back at some of Jacks most memorable moments. So here for you viewing pleasure is the Walt Cummings' Eyeball Memorial List of Agent Jack Bauer's Most Badass Badasseries.

10. Jack Goes Bat-Shit Crazy (Season 1)
I don’t know why Jack gets so upset when Nina tells him that Kim is dead. She’s a whiny pain in the ass who causes the man nothing but trouble (and this doesn’t exactly change in season two and three.) But I’m willing to forgive the writers because this plot point leads to one of the most amazing moments in the show’s history. Jack drives a van through a wall wielding dual pistols and proceeds to take out all of Drazen’s henchmen. He then corners Victor Drazen on the dock and shoots him not once, not twice, but twelve times! High score!

This for trying to kill Keanu Reeves in Speed!

9. The Patented Jack Bauer Thigh Neck Snap (Season 3, 5, Redemption)
Step One: Get handcuffed or tied up in some way by anonymous terrorists (preferably Arabs)
Step Two: Refuse to answer terrorist’s questions despite their various and creative methods of torture (these may include electrocution, burning, toe nail pulling and monologing)
Step Three: Wait until they turn around
Step Four: Wrap your thighs around their head and twist until you hear that satisfying crunch
Step Five: Repeat

One down...

8. Nina Myers Gets What She Deserves (Season 3)

“You don't have anymore useful information, do you Nina?” Nina Myers was one of those characters who had a habit of showing up at the most unlikeliest of moments in order to make Jacks life that much more difficult* . That is, until he SHOOTS HER POINT BLANK IN THE HEAD!!! I don’t like to throw harsh words around, but Nina was an absolute bitch and seeing Jack finally avenge his wife's death was one of the most satisfying things I have ever seen (which probably says a lot about me as a person).

Ha ha ha!

*see also: Chase, Kim, Mandy

7. Paul Raines Has A Bad Day (Season 4)

What do you do when your girlfriend’s smarmy British ex husband shows up with plans to sweep her off her feet? If you’re Jack Bauer, you tie him up and electrocute him with a lamp! Season four really amped up the torture, and this was probably the most glorious torture scene of them all. It turned out the Paul had nothing to do with the terrorist conspiracy, but that’s beside the point. And it doesn’t end there. Only a few hours later when Paul is having life saving surgery (after taking a bullet for Jack), Jack orders the doctor to stop the operation so he can save the life of a no good terrorist with vital information instead. Paul dies…relationship saved!

Jack busts in on Paul Raines

6. Innovative Interrogation (Season 5)
So your former mentor turns out to be planning a massive terrorist attack on American soil, and you need to get information out of him fast. Do you
a) Ask him politely.
b) Ask him aggressively.
c) Threaten to shoot his wife in the leg.
d) Actually shoot his wife in the leg.
e) All of the above.

I couldn't find an appropriate picture...so instead here's a really awesome one

5. The Towel (Season 1)
I remember season one. Tony was just a computer nerd, Nina was trustworthy, Teri was alive and Jack wasn’t on a first name basis with the American president. Those truly were simpler times. And yet even then, Jack only needs a simple dishcloth to be totally badass. Observe:

“You probably don't think that I can force this towel down your throat. But trust me, I can. All the way. Except I'd hold onto this one little bit at the end. When your stomach starts to digest it, I pull it out. Taking your stomach lining with it. For most people it would take about a week to die.”

I don't even know if what he threatened to do was possible, but either way this still remains one of 24’s coolest moments (and all his does is talk)

This man can kill you with a hankerchief

4. Chase’s Hand + Jack Bauer + Axe (Season 3)
Let’s face it...everybody hates Chase. He spends the entire season getting in Jacks way, and the only time he’s effectual is when he distracts the Salazar’s by getting himself captured and tortured for several hours. My personal hatred of him is aggravated because he gets to grope Elisha Cuthbert. But Jack doesn’t stand for anyone touching his daughter, and so in the season finale he decided to cut off Chases groping hand with an axe. Sure, Bauer might claim that he did it to prevent a deadly bio-weapon from getting released, but I think deep down he just hates Chase as much as the rest of us.

Your first error was handcuffing the canister full of deadly virus to your arm. It's a rookie mistake

3. The Flare Gun (Season 2)
He shoots a dude in the chest with a freaking flare gun! Do I really need to explain why this is awesome?

I believe the technical term for this right here is OWNED!!!

2. Jack Goes Primal (Season 6)
In one of the most preposterously moments in 24’s history (what do you expect, it was season 6?), Jack, after being tortured in China for twenty months, is freed by his government only to be immediately handed over to some terrorists to be executed. But even after all that physical trauma, he still manages to rip a dude’s jugular out with his teeth, steal his keys, free himself from a pair of handcuffs and go on another 24 hour adventure. And that’s why we love him.

A little torture never hurt anyone

1. “I’m Gonna Need A Hacksaw” (Season 2)
Todays winner is without a doubt the most badass thing I have ever seen on television. Let’s look at it from the writer’s point of view. It’s been eighteen months since your hero’s wife died, and you need to demonstrate to audiences that he’s a changed man. You could give him some grizzled facial hair and write a scene where he tries to get back in his daughters life. Or, alternatively, you could have him shoot an unarmed man at close range and then cut his head off with a hacksaw. But don’t worry. Just include some minor expository dialogue that reveals that this unarmed man was a child pornographer and no one will mind. Trust me, that’s all the character development you’ll ever need.

Grizzly Adams did have a beard

Wasn’t that a fun trip down memory lane? I have a sudden urge to turn on my DVD player…but then again I feel that urge pretty much every day. Thanks to Chris “Miles Papazian” Weinberg and Stuart “crazy hermit who lives in the woods and kidnaps Kim in season 2” De Poi for their help with this article, which is dedicated to the late President David Palmer, as well as George Mason, Ryan Chappelle, Michelle Dessler, Edgar Stiles, Curtis Manning, Milo Pressman and the countless other CTU agents who have died so that Jack Bauer could survive and look all the more awesome by comparison.

Season 7 of 24 is currently airing in Australia sunday nights on Channel 7.

Would it be considered gay if I covered this picutre with hundreds of tiny hearts?

Resources: http://24.wikia.com and http://progressiveboink.com/archive/24100

Season Premiere - Lost

"Because You Left"

That right, it’s back. This week, televisions most infuriating series will return for its fifth season, and what a return it is. I have already seen the episode (through undisclosed methods), and here are my thoughts

Awesome.

I think that at this point we just have to accept that Lost is now a balls out sci-fi show. I believe that the slump the show experienced during season 3 was due to the fact that the producers weren’t confident enough to go forward with anything that might be deemed too ‘hokey’. Last year they toyed with the ideas of time manipulation and paranormal abilities, and then in the season finale the Island literally vanish into thin air. Now, in the premiere of the shows penultimate season, the writers have thrown caution to the wind, and have provided viewers with one of the strongest episodes in over two years. They have also begun to explain mysteries from years ago, although you have to be a pretty die hard fan to pick up on then. Then again, I don’t think there are any casual Lost fans left.

Last season saw six of the survivors of Oceanic 815 escape from the Island just moments before it disappeared. Flash forward three years, and we find our heroes facing difficult times. Jack is addicted to prescription medication and is suicidal, Kate is raising another woman’s child, Hurley is living in a mental institution, Sun has teamed up with the enemy and Sayid is killing people for a living. And of course, good old Ben is trying desperately to get them all to return before “bad things happen.” This season opens like the others with a massive reveal featuring one of the shows best new characters, the obsessive physicist Daniel Faraday. The term ‘flashback’ appears to be no longer relevant; instead we follow two different narratives. In 2007, the Oceanic Six are facing new and mysterious threats, while back on the island, those left behind find themselves jumping randomly through time. This new device is really great, as it gives fans of the show a change to relive classic moments from a different perspective, as well as shedding new light into some of the Islands biggest mysteries.

A lot of the characters get reinvigorated in this new season. Another major problem the show had begun to suffer from was that the flashbacks were fast becoming uninteresting and irrelevant. Sayid had becoming my least favourite character on the show due to his boring back-story, but he is now a complete badass (watch out for the dishwasher scene) The uneasy alliance that Jack and Ben (played magnificently as usual by Michael Emerson) strike up provides some compelling scenes, and of course Hurley is as awesome as ever, providing comic relief even in the darkest of moments (and there are some seriously dark moments.) Daniel, Miles and Charlotte, who last season felt completely extraneous, are now getting some proper air time, and the constant bickering between Sawyer and Miles is very entertaining. Characters long missing such as the never aging Richard Alpert and the mysterious time travelling Ms Hawking return, adding yet another layer to the shows complex mythology.

This episode isn’t going to hook any new fans, and it probably won’t convince anyone to start watching again. But it is a wild ride for the faithful fans, and should be enough to convince those whose faith in the show is wanning that they creators know exactly what they are doing. Now that Lost has a definitive end date (2010), they are done stalling, and have delivered a bolt of energy into the show, which remains one of the most interesting and original programs on television.

The season premiere of Lost will air in Australia at 10:30pm on Wednesday February 11^th on Channel Seven.

I in no way condone the streaming of television programs via the internet. However, if it was a life and death situation, I would recommend lost-streams.com (which has the first four episodes) :)

Please leave comments. Even negative ones mean you’re reading. Also, if you do leave a comment, please leave your name so I know who you are (I'm operating under the assumption that the only people who read this blog are people who I know personally)

Season Premiere - Life On Mars

Why? Why why why!? Why is it so hard to find any originality in film or television these days? Why, instead of coming up with new, fresh ideas do the Americans resort time and time again to remaking (oh, sorry, the term is now rebooting) perfectly good shows from overseas. Coupling? Kath & Kim? Horrifying! I mean, if these shows had succeeded then maybe it would make sense, but come on! The BBC version of Life On Mars was one of the most creative and original series to have aired in years, and now the Americans have taken it upon themselves to crapify yet another quality piece of television programming.

On the verge of solving a big case, New York detective Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara) is struck by a car and wakes up in the year 1973. Unsure if he has travelled back in time, gone insane or is lying in a coma back in 2008, Sam finds himself teamed up with Lieutenant Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel), a head bashing cop from the old school who does anything and everything to catch his man. Now, Sam must toe the line, and utilize his modern crime solving skill in order to police the world of 1973 without the help of forensics and other contemporary technology, while all the while trying to figure out how to get back home. Rounding out the cast is Michael Imperioli as Sam’s rival Detective Ray Carling, Jonathan Murphy as eager young cop Chris Skelton and Gretchen Mol as Sam’s confident and love interest, the underappreciated female officer Annie Norris.

I really disliked this Pilot. The concept is great, and of series that could be remade, this one did hold some promise. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it simply does not work. But I also realise that I am incapable of giving an unbiased view, as I absolutely adored the original series. Every time a new character was introduced, I couldn’t help but compare then to their English counterpart. O’Mara was not too bad in the leading role original played by the wonderful John Simm; he is certainly charismatic enough for the part, and his handling of the more comedic aspects of his character were very entertaining. He did falter a few times, especially during the scenes of desperation when he attempts to ‘make contact’ with 2008. Gretchen Mol was also passable in terms of her acting, but her supermodel appearance does not suit her character at all. Michael Imperioli on the other hand was downright terrible as the oafish Ray Carling. But worst of all was the atrociously miscast Harvey Keitel, whose performance was lazy and uninspired. I have never been a particularly big fan of Keitel’s anyway, but he is truly awful here, especially when compared the amazing performance of Philip Glenister

Everything else in this episode was just weak imitation. The direction is a shot for shot remake, most of the lines are spoken word for word, and yet somehow the produces have managed to avoid almost all the character development, wit and tension of the original. Even Hunt’s car is the same for God’s sake! There were only two things that I really enjoyed here. One was the great revelation delivered through the appearance of the twin towers, and the other was the very final scene, which ironically did not appear in the British version. The rest was the hour was simply agonizing. That being said, I cannot say for sure that my negative reaction was not simply because of my attachment to the original series. I asked several people who hadn’t seen the BBC version what they thought of this pilot, and while none of them loved it, they didn’t think it was all that bad either. I will watch a few more episodes to be sure, and I am interested to see what they do once they run out of episodes to remake. Until then though, I do not predict good things.

The premiere episode of Life On Mars will be playing in Australia at 10:40pm Saturday 7^th February on Channel Ten.

Life On Mars will air weekly in Australia at 9:30pm Thursdays on Channel Ten.

Seasons 1 & 2 of the BBC version are available on DVD now.

Please leave any thoughts or comments you might have.

The Return of TV - Battlestar Galactica Season 4

"Sometimes A Greater Notion"



Of all the shows that are on the air right now, I would say that Battlestar Galactica is the most intelligent. It constantly challenges the way we think and presents us with interesting moral questions (for example, the good guys use suicide bombers and criminalize abortion.) The way themes religion and humanity are explored in program elevate it above almost anything else on TV, and it saddens me that so many people are turned of simply by the name. That being said, I was a little disappointed by this episode, which is the first of the final ten of the series.

When we last saw the human fleet just before the mid-season fleet, they had joined forces with the renegade cylon models and finally arrived at Earth, only to discover that it was a barren nuclear wasteland. The episode is by no means a bad one, but after the shocking reveal in the final moments before the mid season break, I expected this episode to be a bit more action packed. This episode dosn't move the story forward a whole lot; instead, it focuses on certain key characters and their reactions to their discovery. Obviously, spirits are low, and some characters are on the verge of giving up hope (and some just do).

This episode is extremely dark, but a lot of the moments seemed a bit recycled. I felt as though I had seen the confrontation between Tigh and Admiral Adama before, and there is a certain moment involving Dualla that I think was a very cheap stunt on behalf of the writers. The shocking discovery that Starbuck makes in this episode is very cool, but Katee Sackhoff in my opinion failed to deliver in the acting department. Aditionally, the scenes featuring a dispondent President Roslin felt extremely cliched, and to be honest I expected better from a show that I normally hold to such a high standard. Clearly the writers were trying to take the audience to a more dramatic place rather then give us another cool space battle, and I commend them for trying. Personally, I think it would have been wiser to start this season with a bit more of a bang. Still, I have complete faith that BSG will pick up again after what I think was a fairly weak episode.


Battlestar Galactica Season 4 will be airing on the Sci-Fi channel some time in 2009.

The Return of TV - 24 Season 7

“8AM-9AM”, “9AM-10AM”, “10AM-11AM”, “11AM-12PM”

This was the premier that I was most excited for. I discovered 24 in 2007; if I recall correctly, Borders was having a 3 for the price of 2 sale, and so I picked up the first three seasons on DVD. After watching a few episodes returned to buy seasons 4, 5 & 6. Needless to say, I absolutely love this show (even season 6). Despite the wooden dialogue and the constantly reoccurring storylines, Jack Bauer is definitely the most badass character on television. Because I had only experienced the show on DVD, I was quite nervous come January 2008, as I didn’t know how I could stand waiting a full week between each episodes. Little did I know, I would be waiting much longer than that. Just a few days before the premier was set to air, the writers guild strike began, and Fox decided to postpone season seven for a full year.

ARGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

After 18 months of wait, Jack Bauer is finally back. In the four hour premier (8PM to 12PM), we learn that there have been a lot of changes this season; with LA reduced to a nuclear wasteland by terrorists in season 6, the show has relocated to Washington DC. The episode opens with Jack Bauer on trial for torturing suspects while under the employment of the now disbanded Counter Terrorist Unit. However, before long, Bauer is subpoenaed by FBI agent Renee Walker, who needs his help prevent an imminent terrorist attack being masterminded by his former ally Tony Almeida (even though he was killed in season 5.) The explanation they give to explain his reappearance would be unacceptable in most other shows, but because it’s 24, we forgive it almost instantaneously. In a storyline running parallel to these events, newly elected President Allison Taylor is contemplating sending US troops into the African nation of Sangala to prevent genocide, whilst her husband, First Gentleman Henry Taylor, is looking into the events of his son’s supposed suicide.

24: Redemption, the two hour television movie that bridged the gap between seasons 6 and 7, was pretty bloody awful. The introduction of Allison Taylor was good, but the parts set in Africa felt like Blood Diamond if it had been made for a couple of hundred bucks. Never the less, this season has started really promisingly. Tony Almeida was one of my favourite characters, and so it’s great to see him back. The story involving the death of the First Son is really compelling, and reminds me a lot of season 1. Colm Feore is great as Henry Taylor, and Allison Taylor (played by Cherry Jones) is fast becoming my favourite 24 president since David Palmer. Moving the show to Washington adds to the conspiracy theory vibe that this season is trying to put out, and the Sangalese invasion storyline is one of the more interesting political storylines the show has done. Annie Wersching as Agent Walker is another great addition to the cast, although the rest of the FBI characters are yet to make a strong impression on me. And, of course, Keifer Sutherland is wonderful as the Flag Waving Terrorist Torturing Jack Bauer. God bless America!

Despite the changes that have been made this season, this is still very clearly the 24 we know and love. We get the personal lives crossing with the job, the morally questionable torture (the end justifies the means, of course) and it’s not a spoiler to say that yes, there is a mole in the FBI. I am really looking forward to seeing Jon Voight appear later in the season as the overarching villain. If you didn’t like 24 before now, the first four episodes of this season aren’t going to change your mind. But if you love it like I do, then you will not be disappointed.

24 Season 7 will premier in Australia on Channel 7 in 2009. I in no way encourage the streaming and/or download of television programs online, but if I did, I would recomend www.alluc.org

See below: The cast of Season 7, Jon Voight as Jonas Hodges