Box-Eyed: Six For The Fall
By Dan OwenWe're waist-deep in new television just now, so I thought I'd share some of the new Autumn shows I've been watching that are airing in the UK. Here are six worth checking out, in alphabetical order:
Eastbound & Down, FX
I loathed the pilot (where a failed baseball player and egomaniac returns to his hometown with delusions of grandeur), but I tuned in for the next two episodes and enjoyed them a lot more. It helped that Kenny Powers, while still unlikeable and monstrous, earned a modicum of sympathy through various run-ins with people, and actually seemed to learn something about his soft touch family in episode 3. In some ways, this is a raucous American version of I'm Alan Partridge (faded celeb refuses to accept the fact he's a washed-up loser), only not as funny and twice as vulgar. Still worth checking out, as it's a brief 30-minutes of six episodes – unusually brief for a US sitcom, but all the better for it.
FlashForward, FiveI'm not convinced the concept has legs (that the worldwide populace blacked-out for 137 seconds and glimpsed their own futures), but I'm giving it a chance to prove me wrong. If the sci-fi quotient drops as low as the producers have hinted, I'm not sure there's much point continuing with it. It could become little more than a show where the FBI chase shadows (as we know, deep down, that nothing will be explained until the finale), while the human drama rolls along on-rails to its predestined destination.
Fringe, Sky1
I'm still entertained and feel in safe hands while watching this successor to The X Files, even though I grow less enthralled about the mytharc the more they reveal – not unlike my experience with the aforementioned '90s series. But Fringes' creativity, smart sci-fi, tight action, and John Noble's nutty performance keep me glued.
Harper's Island, BBC Three/BBC HDThis has been a surprise treat for Sunday nights, wisely airing in double-bill chunks on BBC3. It has its faults, sure, but its cancellation and low ratings in the US sent out the wrong impression. I think this has been great fun; a hybrid of Agatha Christie mystery and American slasher film, chopped up into 13 parts. Did the American public just not "get it"? The great thing is how Harper's Island totally justifies a self-contained run, so I'm sort of glad it's not coming back. I mean, what the hell would they have done next season? Created a new scenario with fresh characters and a new location? Wouldn't that have necessitated a title change? I suspect everyone involved knew his was a one-off deal, unlikely to get re-commissioned.
Merlin, BBC1 The most improved show on this list, by far. I'm really enjoying this teen-Merlin series, mainly because Katie McGrath and Angel Coulby are being given plenty to do, the tone is darker, they venture out into the luscious countryside more, and the scripts are now embracing Arthurian legend. Its own inventions are still the weak links, and Merlin himself is becoming a bore, but every episode has entertained me this series.
Peep Show, Channel 4
Back on form after the mild disappointment of series 5, this comedy has set itself a high benchmark and is surpassing them. I love the shake-up with Mark being unemployed, how the parentage of Sophie's baby has been handled, and Jez's latest romance with a manipulative Russian lesbian. Some deliciously rude farce this year, brilliantly performed and tightly written.
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If you enjoyed Box-Eyed, why not head over to Dan's Media Digest for more entertainment-related news, reviews and musings?
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