Rise of international TV (1 Viewer)

[Simon Massey]

Highly recommend the UK show Misfits from Channel 4
The show is about a group of young offenders doing community work who are hit by lightning in a storm and get superpowers. Very funny with some clever twists on the usual kind of stories you get in the superhero TV genre. First three seasons are on bluray and just finished Season 2 .

 

[Simon Massey]

Double post

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by Simon Massey /t/280499/rise-of-international-tv/60#post_3960077
Highly recommend the UK show Misfits from Channel 4
The show is about a group of young offenders doing community work who are hit by lightning in a storm and get superpowers. Very funny with some clever twists on the usual kind of stories you get in the superhero TV genre. First three seasons are on bluray and just finished Season 2 .

Yeah, I've been watching. It's pretty interesting. I must be alone, but I am eagerly awaiting this season of Merlin. AbFab's Olympic special is also one of the best things about the Olympics so far

 

[WaveCrest]

After wondering if ITV had axed the series, a seventh series of Law & Order: UK will be made. It will consist of eight episodes. The Digital Spy news article, posted earlier today, also says two of the show's cast members won't appear in this seventh series.

 

[mattCR]

Fantastic news. Law & Order UK is such a great update of the franchise; and it moves in a totally unique way. I really, really like L&O:UK.. everything about it I enjoy.

 

[Simon Massey]

Danish TV seems to be churning out really good quality drama at the moment
After Forbrydelsen aka The Killing, I have now got into 2 new shows which are both available on Bluray and DVD in the Uk. One is called Borgen, which is a Danish political series about a female Prime Minister. Very well done with a great central performance. The other is called The Bridge which is a detective drama involving two detectives from different countries investigating a murder together which happens on The bridge that divides their two countries. Again great characters

 

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by mattCR /t/280499/rise-of-international-tv/60#post_3966275
Fantastic news. Law & Order UK is such a great update of the franchise; and it moves in a totally unique way. I really, really like L&O:UK.. everything about it I enjoy.

With Dame Harriet Walter and Freema Agyeman both not appearing in Law & Order: UK's seventh series (it's not a surprise with the latter, as she's appearing in a US show this autumn), this means the only surviving original main castmember left is Bradley Walsh.

 

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by Simon Massey /t/280499/rise-of-international-tv/60#post_3968089
Danish TV seems to be churning out really good quality drama at the moment
After Forbrydelsen aka The Killing, I have now got into 2 new shows which are both available on Bluray and DVD in the Uk. One is called Borgen, which is a Danish political series about a female Prime Minister. Very well done with a great central performance. The other is called The Bridge which is a detective drama involving two detectives from different countries investigating a murder together which happens on The bridge that divides their two countries. Again great characters

The third (and final) series of The Killing (aka Forbrydelsen III) should be starting soon in Denmark, assuming it's shown first in Denmark before anywhere else (guessing BBC Four will start showing the third series in mid to late November, because it's being released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK in mid December).

Didn't realise the first series of Borgen had also been released on Blu-ray in the UK, as I thought it only had a DVD release. Looks like the second series will be shown on BBC Four not long into the New Year, as Amazon UK have a February release date for a DVD release and a Blu-ray release as well.

 

[WaveCrest]

The first episode of a new police drama series called Good Cop was excellent. Has a Death Wish-vibe about it. Part of the opening episode wasn't easy to watch, but it's certainly well filmed, written and acted. Shall be interesting to see what happens in the remaining three episodes.

 

[WaveCrest]

Have found the BBC are making more better drama series than ITV at the moment, but The Bletchley Circle (three-part series) on ITV1 has been worth watching. Set after the Second World War, with a group of female former codebreakers trying to solve a series of murders.

Also, the third series of Downton Abbey starts on ITV1 this coming Sunday night.

 

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by mattCR /t/280499/rise-of-international-tv/30#post_3937979
While it's Canadian (Showcase), their new series "Continuum" needs to be picked up somewhere, or made into something else. I have no idea if this works out longterm, but it's an interesting concept

Continuum starts in the UK on SyFy next Thursday. Will watch the first two or three episodes before deciding whether to see the rest of the season or not. The trailer looked good, but I'm wondering how much dodgy-looking CGI is in this show.

 

[mattCR]

It's an interesting concept.. I don't know how I feel about Season 1 as a whole, but the concept is unique.

 

[Hanson]

I thought it was kind of on the level of the V reboot as far as production values go, but I liked this much better. It's mostly a dull procedural with some clunky dialog perked up by the scifi trappings, but they were able to score some good actors. That's what elevates Continuum from V. The hacker kid and the lead are better than this type of production can hope for, and although Rachel Nichols isn't all that great of an actress (she was horrid in Conan), she is very likable in this role. Be warned -- it takes two or three episodes before it weaves enough mythology to really get cooking. It's kind of hit and miss before that. I liked Nichols enough to get through it, but if you hate her performance or don't have the patience, you might not make it.

 

[WaveCrest]

Been enjoying the Canadian sci-fi/detective series Continnum these past few weeks. The show is getting really good now (four episodes left). Haven't minded Rachel Nichols in the lead role, and have liked her scenes with one of the character from the future who ended up purchasing the boat. Has Continuum been renewed for a second season?

Also, there is a second season of The Booth at the End (thank goodness. It was a really good character piece the first season). The second season premieres in the UK next Monday on FX, and will run for five consecutive nights.

The new series of Strictly Come Dancing has been entertaining as usual. Very good entertainment, and one of the best things about it is the banter between Sir Bruce Forsyth and the judges.

 

[mattCR]

Yeah, Continuum has a very unique setup and I'm not sure what I think about it - even after Season 1, but it's got a chance to latch on. It's coming to SyFy.

In other international TV, I can't think of any show that has shocked me with twists and turns the way Downton Abbey Season 3 did. I was FLOORED at least twice, once in the middle and once at the end.. but the shock in the middle is one of those twists that just baffled me.

 

[Hanson]

Misfits season 4 started a couple of weeks ago. Still a very entertaining show even though there's only one original cast member left.

 

[mattCR]

This is the best season of Merlin. This show keeps improving; I do always love the overlap between actors on "Game of Thrones" who appear in Merlin.. but to me, as long as Angel Coulby is on the screen, I am happy.

 

[mattCR]

Wave-

Is Secret State doing well over in the UK? Gabriel Byrne looks great in it.

 

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by mattCR /t/280499/rise-of-international-tv/60#post_4005920
Wave-

Is Secret State doing well over in the UK? Gabriel Byrne looks great in it.

It's not a series I've been interested in this autumn/fall, but I have read bits about it in newspapers/TV magazines. Think there is one more episode left, but the early overnight ratings for the first two episodes (source: Digital Spy news articles) have been ok, but nothing great. It's being released on DVD in the UK next Monday.

 

[mattCR]

Yeah, I've already got the DVD on pre-order; I think it's based on a book I read a while back. I'm loving Merlin this year; I have no idea where they go with Gwen...

I received Call the Midwife Bluray today, and preparing it for a review here. It's surprisingly good, if a bit light. It seems as though it gets close to really touchy issues and then just veers away. But I do really enjoy the cast.