HOUSE

November, 2004 - May, 2012

8 seasons

177 episodes

This week my post is about one of the most successful TV Series: House. I’m not sure when I started watching it and why, I just know that I was an absolute fan until its end last year. I’m sure that everybody knows it and has even watched some episodes, but just in case there is someone who hasn’t, let me tell you a little about it: 

This is a medical drama where the main character is Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant and unconventional doctor. He’s drug-addicted (Vicodin), selfish, cynical, cranky, misanthropic... but on the other hand he’s the only one who can work out strange medical cases that nobody else can solve. He works with a team formed from professionals in different disciplines: a neurologist, a surgeon, an immunologist, among others (depending on the season), and his modus operandi sometimes clashes with his colleagues or the hospital’s rules because it’s based on sudden hunches and improper methods. 

I think the success of this series came from:

The main character’s personality: his extreme intelligence makes the dialogues really clever and fun, and his rudeness gives you lots of hilarious moments. He is also a mystery, behind his cynical mask is hidden a really wounded man incapable of facing his reality, so sometimes you feel sorry for him despite his insufferable personality.

Mysterious cases: every case is a weird and complicated puzzle to solve. You’ll see lots of weird diseases and will be immersed in countless medical hypotheses. And every case finishes in the most unexpected way, so they’ll be grabbing your attention episode after episode.

Drama and relationships: the relationships between the characters are really changing and influenced by Dr. House’s personality which makes you attentive to what happens between them.

Rapidity: This series is very quick. They speak quickly and handle tons of information in a minute, there are sharp and subtle jokes, tiny details... Your attention and concentration will be working hard!

The main character was fantastically played by Hugh Laurie who was awarded several times for his work on this series. The rest of the cast was formed by: Lisa Edelstein, Robert Sean Leonard, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, Jennifer Morrison and Peter Jacobson among others.

Hugh Laurie is also a musician. He plays piano, guitar and sings really well so, after the series, he’s now dedicated to his music career. He has two albums: “Let them talk” and “Didn’t it rain” which I recommend you listen to carefully as they are very good.

And finally, the series finale was for me the best finale that a series has ever had. It was original, surprising, totally unexpected and gave a beautiful resolution to the characters. 

If you have never watched it I don’t know what are you waiting for... Another MUST WATCH on my list.

Here is a video for you to check it out:

SHAMELESS (USA) Welcome to the madness!

January, 2011 - present

3 seasons

36 episodes

The latest series that I’m hooked on is the US remake of Shameless. I discovered it because of a friend and when I started watching it I wished I’d discovered it earlier.

It’s a remake of the original English TV Series of the same name. The original Shameless had 11 seasons and it was aired from 2004 until its end this year (2013).

Shameless is about a dysfunctional family. There are 6 children, their mother left them two years ago and their father is always drunk at the bar. He doesn’t want to get a job and tries to get money from cheating the insurance companies or the social services (money that he spends at the bar, of course). The children are brought up by the oldest sister, Fiona, who is 21 years old and struggles to survive by taking any kind of temporary jobs. 

It could seem a very dramatic series, but it isn’t. Despite showing the extreme side of society and how hard their life is, the situations are exaggerated and taken very far, so you are nearly watching a comedy. Every character is crazy on this show, and every episode is a surprise where things go really really mad... you can’t even believe how far they can go!!

The main cast is formed by William H. Macy in the role of Frank Gallagher (the drunk father); Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher (the oldest sister); Justin Chatwin as Steve (Fiona’s boyfriend) and playing the children: Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, Emma Rose Kenney, Ethan Cutkosky and Brennan Kane Johnson. 

I’m surprised by all the cast because it’s not easy to play that kind of role. The children are really good and I’m always amazed that young children can act that well. My favorite character, however, is a supporting one: Joan Cusack is amazing in the role of Sheila Jackson, a woman who suffers from agoraphobia... She’s simply hilarious! And my second choice is Emmy Rossum as Fiona, I can’t help loving her character.

I also made a nice discovery. Emmy Rossum, apart from acting, is an excellent singer. I suggest you listen to her album “Sentimental Journey”, it’s very good!.

Some people said to me that they aren’t watching this show because they heard there are lots of sex scenes. I told them not to listen to that. Yes, it’s true, sex is very present, but it’s there in a way that doesn’t bother me at all. It’s not the main theme, it’s part of the madness!.

I’m currently watching the second season and I’m enjoying it a lot. They’re filming the fourth season at the moment, so I’m happy that I still have Shameless for a while!

Here is a video for you to check it out:

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/1gCBos0

BREAKING BAD is done

January, 2008 -  September, 2013

5 Seasons

62 episodes

I’ve already written a post about Breaking Bad but, after its forever-ending, I think it deserves another post.

I discovered the series late. Even though it started in January 2008 I began watching it in October 2012, so my journey with it has been short (a year) but pretty intense. After its finale I can assure you it’s perhaps the best series by far, and together with Fringe it’s my favorite ever.

What do I think makes it so good?

Story: I think the success of the story comes from its simplicity. Who hasn’t ever dreamed up easy ways to make lots of money? Breaking Bad’s main character (Walter White) not only fantasizes, but he carries it out pushed by his desperate situation: his working conditions are precarious and he’s just been diagnosed with a severe lung cancer... What will happen to his family if he dies? So, as a brilliant chemist, he decides to start cooking methamphetamine, just a little, just temporarily, in order to leave money to his family in case he dies. But when a totally honest, good and hard-working man gets into a foreign world like being a drug producer and seller, things can go really complicated and crazy.

Realism: in my opinion the series is pretty intense and it’s because of its realism. This is fiction, but it’s something that could happen and it’s really believable. Every decision has its consequence and its emotional impact and this is shown in the series in a clear and palpable way. You can easily feel what the characters are feeling and absorb their emotions empathically. This ingredient is perhaps the one that gives most tension to the story.

Twist and turns: in this series nothing ends up as you would expect. You’ll be theorizing about what happens next, but things will always lead to the most unexpected situations. They’re constantly surprising you! If you never bit your nails, you’ll start doing it while you watch Breaking Bad.

Characters: the evolution of every single character is wholly awesome.

Cast: these amazing characters are played by an excellent cast which I already praised in my previous post. Nevertheless, I’d like to add something about Anna Gunn’s character (Skyler White). I recently read that some people hate her character so much that the actress received death threats... How can someone go that far? Anyway, that fact means that the character won’t leave you indifferent. I personally loved the character, she was one of my favorites. And they just gave her a Grammy award for it, so well done Anna!

Photography: I already said this in my previous post, but I’ll repeat it: its photographic work is spectacular. Gorgeous landscapes, beautiful locations, time-lapses... It’s worth watching the series just because of that.

Finale: I’m not going to reveal the finale, I just want to say that it was a well-deserve finale. It was up to my expectations (although I got right in my forecast) and I’m completely happy with it.

In conclusion, there’s nothing negative that I could say about this series. A MUST WATCH in capital letters.

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/10thkhW

THE BRIDGE

July 2013 - present

1 season

13 episodes

The Bridge is a new series released last summer. I read about it before its premiere and it seemed quite interesting to me, so I started watching it from the very beginning. Like many other series nowadays this is an adaptation of an European series. In this case The Bridge is based on the Danish/Swedish series Bron.

Its plot tells us about a criminal investigation of a murder committed just on the border between US and Mexico, so police on both sides have to collaborate to figure it out. Nothing is what it seems on this show which keeps you suspicious of almost everyone.

One of the most interesting things on this show is the role of the US detective Sonya Cross (played by Diane Kruger), who has Asperger’s syndrome, a sort of Autism. She’s really good at connecting points and remembering details, but she’s a mess in her social behavior. She doesn’t know how to interact and she understands everything in its literal meaning, which puts her in awkward situations sometimes, or gives you some hilarious moments other times. The role is pretty challenging to play, and I think Diane Kruger did it brilliantly, as I could see a real Asperger’s person and a clear evolution of the character at the same time.

The rest of the cast is formed by Demián Bichir, Annabeth Gish, Thomas M. Wright and Ted Levine, among others.

The series has had a good reception so it’s been renewed for a second season that will be aired next summer. I can’t wait to see what they’ll be dealing with!

There’s a video here for you to check it out:

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/1eHfSxK

V (2009) We're of peace. Always

November, 2009 - March, 2011

2 Seasons

22 episodes

This post is about an epic series which marked my childhood. It’s V, aired in the 80’s and picked up for a remake in 2009. At a time when the TV supply was very limited (I mean, by far, more limited than nowadays), every TV series was an absolute success. So when I heard about the remake I was very excited, and I wasn’t going to miss it.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, V is about spaceships coming to Earth. The aliens have human appearance and say they come in peace as they only need some resources from Earth. In exchange, they offer to share their technological advances.   But, as you can imagine, they have hidden purposes and Earth’s inhabitants are divided between supporters and detractors.

The remake keeps the original idea but the storyline is completely different as it’s adapted to the current time, and also because they wanted to use actors from the original series as special guests.

There were some subliminal points that surprised me because of their clear parallelism to the real world. One is the justification of a war after pulling off an auto-attack (giving responsibilities to others, of course). And the other point is about using a vaccine against a fatal disease as an excuse to inject people with some kind of biological “tag”. And that came in the middle of the real polemic about flu A... Did they want us to be willing to accept something like that?

In the role of the evil Visitor Queen (Anna) is Morena Baccarin, and leading the Fifth Column is Elizabeth Mitchell (as Erica Evans). The rest of the main cast is formed by: Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, Lourdes Benedicto, Laura Vandervoort, Charles Mesure and Scott Wolf.

Although the audiences weren’t bad, the series was taken off (which seems weird), and it was left unfinished, what a pity!

Anyway, despite not having a proper ending, it’s worth watching it if you were a fan in the 80’s. You’ll have a different point of view of the same story, lots of action, intrigue, suspicion, futuristic devices, and... some more surprises.

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/1dfSBF6

REVOLUTION: take back the power

September, 2012 - present

1 season

20 episodes

I can’t remember why I started watching this series, but I was really hooked on it from the very first episode. Unfortunately, as the series went on I began to feel tired... but well, let’s go step by step.

The series has a very good story. It transports us to a reality where a universal blackout has happened and people have to learn how to live without electricity. The action takes place in the USA, fifteen years after the blackout, when society is reorganized in new nations ruled by militias. No one knows why the blackout happened or how to bring back the power... No one? no, of course, a group of scientists has little devices which are capable of returning the electricity, but militias want them to increase their power, so the devices must be incredibly well protected. 

In order to figure out what happened the series uses flashbacks. Thus, we can see how things were before and just after the blackout. They also show us the characters’ lives before the disastrous event, and how their lives changed after it. And what I liked about this is that the characters are clearly different before and after.

The first season was split into two parts, since they needed to analyze the audiences before filming the whole season. The first ten episodes were simply amazing: excellent plot, good development of the story, intrigue about characters and storyline... and when it finished I was impatiently looking forward to watching the second part. When it finally arrived I was really surprised. What happened? every episode was more boring than the one before because the actions were predictable and nothing happened until the end. At that point, I found myself watching the show just to know how it ended, in case I missed something great.

Regarding the cast, I have to say that I didn’t like the main actors either (except Giancarlo Esposito in the role of Tom Neville). I think they are very limited in their performances, and I would have liked to see more colorful and expressive characters. In addition, I also saw a very tiny evolution in them. It’s true that an evolution before and after the blackout is shown but, in my opinion, they could have had a bigger evolution in the current time too.

The idea of the series is really powerful and it has a brilliant start but the level isn’t maintained which was reflected in its audiences. I know the show has fans who love it, it recently won a Saturn Award as “Best Network TV Series” and it’s currently renewed for a second season, but I didn’t enjoy it and I feel a bit sorry about that. 

I leave some images here and, as always, I encourage you to check it out by yourself and to give your opinion.

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/Vw59xK

PAN AM: let's fly away

September, 2011 - February 2012

1 season

14 episodes

I recently watched this series because it was aired on a local TV. 

Set in 1963, it recreates the relationships between pilots and stewardesses on Pan Am airlines, the big company which revolutionized the international airline industry. But this is only the starting point of a deeper plot, because what the series is really about is an accurate reflection of the 60’s: historical events, political issues, society and their rules and worries. 

What will you see in Pan Am?

• History and politics: the series takes advantage of the airline’s flights to show the political situacion around the world. You’ll see several referrals to presidents and governors and the way politics was affecting international relations.
• Cold War: this is one of the main points of the plot. One of the stewardesses becomes a spy as she can travel around the world without being suspicious. So you’ll be immersed in a world of secrets, intrigue, spies, double agents...
• Art: history and politics aren’t the only reflection of the 60’s, so the show also includes photographers, exhibitions and a little bit of music.
• Fashion: I was amazed about the costumes! Every single character is like a piece of art, seriously! specially the stewardesses with their always-stunning clothes and make-up. It really made me think that people used to be incredibly dressy and stylish at that time.
• Love affairs: of course! love, lack of affection, disappointment, jeaolusy...
• Friendship: I took pleasure in observing how the relation between the characters was built and developed. It was really nice.

The main cast is formed by: Christina Ricci, Margot Robbie, Michael Mosley, Karine Vanasse, Mike Vogel, Kelli Garner and Goran Visnjic. I have to say it was great to see the lovely Christina Ricci in a series’ main role.

Despite starting with big audiences, they decreased fast and the series was cancelled. Its international success and winning a Best Series award didn’t manage to pick it up for a second season either. I think this is an unfortunate ending for a series which deserves a proper one. 

In my opinion, this type of show is the perfect way to do a historical series without being exclusively historical. It’s the perfect way to approach people to that kind of events and to wake up their curiosity about history. Although it wasn’t one of my favourite I enjoyed the time I was watching it, so I encorage you to check it out:

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/T6rhPM

Mistresses

January, 2008 - August, 2010

3 Seasons

16 Episodes

Mistresses is a serial drama which was aired on BBC One a few years ago. It tells us about the relationship between four women in their 30-45 and their love affairs.

I’d never been interested in that kind of series before but I have to own up that I got hook on it. I started watching it because I knew Anna Torv had a little role in the first season, and I ended up watching the whole series.

So, why might you like Mistresses?

• It’s about friendship. The four main characters, four women, have a strong relationship and, despite their busy life, they’re always available to hang out with each other at least once a week (the girls’ night) and whenever someone needs the others. For me, that was a lovely thing to see because sometimes, in real life, everyday issues make you loose contact with friends.
  
• The four characters are completely different, they show different personal situations in life, so everyone who watches the series can find someone they identify with. There’s an event organizer, a little bit posh and promiscuous who hesitates about whether she’s homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual. A widow with two little girls who is trying to move on five years after her husband’s death. A very successful lawyer who desires to get pregnant. And a doctor who has a romance with one of her patients.
  
• The series develops the more intense human emotions throughout the characters’ love affairs: love, jealousy, temptation, desire, guilt, insecurity, anger, disappointment, hope... Impossible not to empathise!
  
• The storyline is very complicated, love affairs are really deep and messy. You may not believe it but the worse things go, the worse they will go, even when you don’t expect it.
  
• The main cast is formed by: Sarah Parish (as Katie Roden), Sharon Small (as Trudi Malloy), Shelley Conn (as Jessica Fraser) and Orla Brady (as Siobhan Dhillon). And I found that all of them played their characters brilliantly!

I very much enjoyed the show. The characters are so lovely that I missed them when I finished watching. The series is really well conducted and I didn’t get tired of so much affair. So, are you curious? I leave here a couple of scenes:

 

Follow these links if you can't watch the videos correctly: http://bit.ly/1bIEAx9 - http://bit.ly/13vyx7g

Breaking Bad: let's cook some meth!

January, 2008 -  September, 2013

5 Seasons

62 episodes

After a little break I’m back to talk about Breaking Bad.

Some friends recommended to me watching this TV Series, but I wasn’t attracted to what they told me about it. Anyway, I decided to start watching the first episodes and give it a chance. And what happened was that I was absolutely hooked on it from minute one until the last episode.

Try to imagine the common boring guy (Walter White) with a difficult personal life, who needs two boring jobs to survive and feels undervalued because he could have been a very successful chemist. Tired of his life, after being diagnosed with lung cancer, he decides to get into drug’s world secretly, trying to do some easy money in order to afford the cost of his treatment and leave some money to his family in case he dies. Can you imagine what happens when you have no idea of where are you getting into? Lots of troubles! Specially if you have a brother in law who works for the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration).

The series is always playing with the unexpected and psychological stress. From the beginning you are getting involved in countless difficult situations that just go from bad to worse even when you think that it’s enough. There’re no great action scenes, but I didn’t miss them. The series recreates all the difficult situations realistically and show them slowly, which makes you get really nervous and bite your nails! And of course, as every good series, you’ll find humor between the drama. 

When I’m watching a TV series I love to look back and see how the characters have changed, how their relationships were and how they are now. And I got what I wanted in this show: a crafted and deep evolution of the characters which, in some cases, is incredible. And of course the characters are played by a brilliant cast. Aaron Paul (as Jesse Pinkman) was my favorite, but I also have to emphasize the performances of Bryan Cranston (as Walter White), Anna Gunn (as Skyler White), Giancarlo Esposito (as Gustavo Fring) and Jonathan Banks (as Mike Ehrmantraut). Some of them have been awarded on several occasions.

I don’t want to finish without talking about how good the photography work is in this show. There’re awesome panoramic landscapes, beautiful locations and amazing frames and timelapses. This makes me think that it’s worth watching the series just to enjoy that.

The series has 5 seasons but it hasn’t finished yet. The series finale will be aired next august (2013)! I’m looking forward to watching what they have done for the finale, I’m sure it will be surprisingly amazing!

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/10thkhW

39th Saturn Awards

The 39th Annual Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, took place last night (June 26th). It was hosted by Wayne Brady and dedicated to the memory of Richard Matheson who died a few days before.

This is the nominees and winners list for the television category. Congrats!!

BEST NETWORK TELEVISION SERIES

Revolution

Elementary

The Following

Fringe

Once Upon a Time

Supernatural

BEST SYNDICATED/CABLE TELEVISION SERIES 

The Walking Dead

American Horror Story: Asylum

Dexter

The Killing

Leverage

True Blood

BEST TELEVISION PRESENTATION

Breaking Bad

Continuum

Falling Skies

Game of Thrones

Mockingbird Lane

Spartacus: War of the Damned

World Without End

BEST YOUTH-ORIENTED TELEVISION SERIES

Teen Wolf

Arrow

Beauty and the Beast

Doctor Who

Merlin

The Vampire Diaries

BEST ACTOR

Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad and 

Kevin Bacon –The Following 

Billy Burke – Revolution

Michael C. Hall – Dexter

Timothy Hutton – Leverage

Joshua Jackson – Fringe

Andrew Lincoln – The Walking Dead

BEST ACTRESS

Anna Torv – Fringe

Moon Bloodgood – Falling Skies

Mireille Enos – The Killing

Sarah Paulson – American Horror Story: Asylum

Charlotte Riley – World Without End

Tracy Spiridakos – Revolution

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jonathan Banks – Breaking Bad

Giancarlo Esposito – Revolution

Todd Lasance – Spartacus: War of the Damned

Colm Meaney – Hell on Wheels

David Morrissey – The Walking Dead

John Noble – Fringe

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Laurie Holden – The Walking Dead

Jennifer Carpenter – Dexter

Sarah Carter – Falling Skies

Anna Gunn – Breaking Bad

Jessica Lange – American Horror Story: Asylum

Beth Riesgraf – Leverage

BEST GUEST PERFORMER

Yvonne Strahovski – Dexter

Blair Brown – Fringe

Terry O'Quinn – Falling Skies

Lance Reddick – Fringe

Mark Sheppard – Leverage

Ray Stevenson – Dexter