Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume One - DVD Review

Adult Swim takes a lot of crap from audiences and critics who label the network a stoner channel, or as having shows consisting entirely of randomness. One of Adult Swim's signature shows that premiered in 2000, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, pretty much backs up that notion. The idea of a stoner network or show isn't helpful for reviewing or analysing the show - but the idea of randomness is. The show is made completely from absurdity and every single aspect of the show highlights that fact. If it weren't for the adult content, then the show could easily be comparable to the 90's heyday of intelligent kids animation on Nickelodeon that were brimming with imaginative absurdity and surrealism. Of particular absurdity are the opening theme song's genre and lyrics (rap), and the fact that the main characters are fast food items and the plots that never follow-through and always go off on some unexpected tangent. The dialogue is underwritten and full of non sequiturs - I guess you could say the same for the plot. The real point of the show - if I try to put myself in the head of the writers - is the interaction between the main characters. We have an arrogant, self-centered and self-appointed leader named Master Shake, who is a milkshake. Frylock, a packet of french fries you would buy from McDonald's, and the brain of the group, can also shoot lightening bolts from his eyes. Then there's Meatwad, a kind of meatball who's childlike, dumb and probably the most likable of the group. He can also transform into different shapes due to the fact he's a meatball - not that it has any practical use whatsoever. Each episode starts with a cold open showing incompetent big bad Dr. Weird unleashing a monster-of-the-week to wreak havoc on the world. His plans are always ridiculous and never seem to cause any damage, even the equally incompetent trio of crime-fighters manage to stop them in some roundabout fashion. After a while, the writers shake the Dr. Weird 'formula' up. Though, it's hard to call it a formula, because it never informs the story whatsoever - so, you know, whatever. The cold opens just become platforms for absurd or non sequitur jokes - this makes the opening sequences even weirder and strangely pointless, like everything else in the show. But, I think the show becomes funnier when you think about the pointlessness or stupidity of it - I have a feeling that is the point.

Oh, yeah, and there's Carl. The angry, balding, over-weight and middle-aged neighbour of the group. The boys are constantly trespassing into his backyard to use his pool, and he often unwillingly finds a way into in the middle of whatever hair-brained adventure the food items have themselves in.

Episodes:

Rabbot
Escape from Leprauchpolis
Bus of the Undead
Mayhem of the Mooninites
Balloonenstein
Space Conflict from Beyond Pluto
Ol' Drippy
Revenge of the Mooninites
MC Pee Pants
Dumber Dolls
Bad Replicant
Circus
Love Mummy
Dumber Days
Interfection
PDA

As you might have guessed, these 'volume' releases tend to get a little messy as far as seasons are concerned. The first 16 episodes are on this set, with two episodes remaining in the first season that are found on the Volume Two release. The two disc set clocks in at 187 minutes and is practically identical in both Region 1 and Region 4 formats.

Video

1.33:1 Fullscreen. DVD can perfectly handle the lo-fi animation presented - no problems whatsoever.

Audio

The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and sounds crisp. Apparently later releases are in 5.1 which is a bonus for fans. So many more popular shows only ever get 2.0 audio releases.

Extras

Special Features:

• The original cut of the first episode "Rabbot"

• Episode commentaries on the two episodes in bold
  

• Deleted scenes
  

It's as if the show is written from initial feeling and instinct rather than well-thought out draft after draft. That's not to say that I think the writers are geniuses, just that I suspect they take a laid back approach to writing the show. Aqua Teen definitely falls into the Sealab/Space Ghost side of Adult Swim, as opposed to the Tim & Eric and Xavier: Renegade Angel side. If you're unsure about the show and have seen any of those, then I hope it would give you an idea of what kind of comedy you're in for. However, like a lot of Adult Swim, the show has to be seen to be believed, and no review could really do it proper justice. I will note that a rule the show seems to abide by is that nothing will play out the way you expect it to - plot or joke. I think I've said all I really can without getting into stuff that just won't make sense to somebody who's never seen the show - except that I love the Mooninites. Perhaps my opinion will be stronger and more articular after I check out the next volume... Now all that's left for you to do is watch the show.

Rescue Me - The Complete Second Season - DVD Review

After an odd yet compelling first season, FX returns with a second season of the testosterone-driven, post-911 firefighter drama. Though many agree this season is arguably stronger than the first, I was still left with the same strange aftertaste on the closing of nearly every episode. The writing was a little tighter but the show was still a big mess. My girlfriend told me that might be the point. Hey, maybe she's right.

Let's get the formalities out of the way. Tommy's actions catch up to him as his ex-wife skips town with the kids and his alcoholism lands him demoted to Staten Island after he puts a fellow firefighter in serious danger. He knocks up his dead cousin's wife. Oh, and he's hit the bottle again. Chief Reilly is still dealing with his wife's deteriorating mental state. It's another round of doom for the boys of Rescue Me - but again, with very little of the gloom. This leads me to my next topic.

The black comedy on Rescue Me is the main reason the show sometimes rubs me the wrong way. I'm all for it - and I love the stuff - but when the show goes from making laughs about something tragic to having the most overwrought dramatic moments and ending montages - I'm left a little confused. Let me assure you, this isn't my inability to 'get' the show or deal with a show of this nature - I'm extremely open-minded and can enjoy anything when I understand what the appeal is. It just feels so messy to me, like the show can't work out what it wants to be. Some of the comic situations and dialogue fall flat, while others work fantastically. Part of why all of this this may not work for me is we never get to the see the characters grounded, they are either in a firehouse lunchroom sitcom or an outlandish multi-episode plot. As I make these criticisms, I try to imagine what Tolan and Leary are going for. As per cable drama, all of the characters are hopelessly tortured and unfairly treated by the television gods - their one rule is that regular characters must be constantly punished. These tough men seem to be emasculated at every corner. If you look at nearly every plot-thread, you can see that it usually ends badly for the man, in general, and in the way his masculinity has been completely stripped. On a thematic level, Tolan and Leary could have this in mind. I have finally come to a more concrete criticism after all of this discussion. After every bleak conclusion to every plot and subplot, the character is basically left to hang in limbo until the next outlandish plot-thread begins. Perhaps I yearn for the show to be more delicate, restrained, and thoughtful with its characterisations, and in turn, that would allow me to feel the pain those ending montages so unforgivingly dish out.

On a more positive note, Chief Reilly's arc with his wife's deteriorating mental health was well-plotted and followed through to a satisfying conclusion. As was, to a lesser extent, the smaller plot dealing with him and his homosexual son. The comedic notes were pitch perfect, and the drama from Reilly's angst about his son's sexual preference was very well-played, the two arcs running alongside each other for some of the season was a smart plotting move, and allowed for a great deal of emotional resonance. Half the credit is due to Jack McGee who plays Chief Reilly - his naturalism and ability to slip right into the role must be commended. He delivered the best performance this season and the fact that he used to be a firefighter is just icing on the cake.

Video

1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. No transfer issues I could see.

Audio

We were lucky enough to get this release in Dolby 5.1, which, when you think about how much dialogue comes from all over the place in this show, it was pretty much essential.

Extras

Special Features:

• Deleted scenes

• Blooper Reel

• 6 behind-the-scenes features on the making of the series cover shooting in New York, life on the set, a second season wrap, conversations with the real FDNY and more!

• Sneak peek at Season three

No audio commentary which is a bit of a bummer, and as with a lot of deleted scenes, you can see why they were cut. On the plus side the behind the scene features are very insightful and entertaining to watch. The sneak peek at Season three is a montage of scenes from season two - so as you can probably guess, it's completely worthless.

The season was frantic, crazy, weird, and occasionally moving. My problems with the show still remain, but if you're already a fan, then this is a slightly stronger outing than the first season. If your not, then go back and check the first as this is a heavily-serialized show. For me, the third season awaits, and I'm interested to see where this train wreck (I don't if I mean that in a good sense or bad) takes me. Will the show find its footing on solid ground or just keep leaping into oblivion?

The Shield - The Complete Fourth Season - DVD Review

Everybody steps it up a notch for The Shield's fourth season which has stronger direction than previous entries and is more satisfying than any other season before it, other than maybe season two. A large contributing factor to this is are the two new big players added; Glenn Close as Monica Rawling, the Barn's new captain, and Anthony Anderson as manipulative drug-lord Antwon Mitchell. Both of these actors bring their all, and in the case of Anthony Anderson it's a very pleasant surprise to discover his exceptional dramatic acting chops.

With Acevada taking a city council position Monica Rawling (Glenn Close, Damages, a role procured for her after her TV stint on The Shield) takes over as captain with a very different approach to David. She wants to implement a seizure plan that takes drugs and drug-bought items and places the money from them into an increased budget for The Barn and also funnel some of it through to the fledgling community. She's happy to please and as a first order of business fixes the male toilets at the Barn which is met with admiration. After the disintegration of the Strike Team Vic finds himself with no other option but to play it straight and get in the new captain's good graces. Surprisingly, he does this easily as she too plays it rough and fast at times in order to get a result. That said, she is a very different cat with a different approach to the morally-questionable political antics of Acevada. And she would never be like him, that's the point, that's her. Things seem to be going well, but with drug-lord Anthony Anderson wrapped up in dealings with Shane and his new junior partner Army (Michael Pena, Observe and Report), Vic trustingly invites them back into a new drug team at the Barn commissioned by Rawling. Before long, the ties that bind become very stretched and a tangled mess starts to grow, in which they are all involved.

Acevada's story continues from where it left off last season and is the other satisfying arc this season. He is understandably taken to another low-point and you just have to wonder what season five has in store for him. As opposed to Dutch's romance with Vic's ex-wife Corrine which was never given enough scenes to build up any weight and thus comes off a little silly.

This is a very strong season with a satisfying conclusion. But more than that, this is the first time I have been totally and completely on-board with the show. From the second or third episode of the season I was entranced and enthralled and this never let up until the end of the season. I cannot say that for the other seasons, although the second was fantastic. Perhaps, the weight of the characters and their stories have built up enough for me to just be along for it all and engrossed in the show. Not to detract from the season itself which was just well-constructed; the twisting and turning plotted carefully with the audience in mind, along with the dazzling acting performances all across the board.

Video

1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen just like the others, and for the show's visual style it looks just as good as the other seasons.

Audio

Dolby 2.0 like the other seasons. A more involving 5.1 would be great but what we have here is very sufficient with no problems to note.

Extras

Special Features:

• Audio commentary by the cast and crew on selected episodes

• Never-before-seen deleted scenes

• 'Under The Skin' behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of season four

Eight of the episodes have commentary and they feature a wide range of the cast and crew which should be very satisfying. There are about half an hours worth of deleted scenes which are a bonus if you're interested in an episode's sub-plot that may have been a little thinner than you would have liked. The hour-long documentary is the best extra any of these sets have had. The whole production of the season is discussed at length with a very broad range of the cast and crew.

4 single-sided dual-layer discs make up season four in a neat and minimal single DVD case like the other seasons. There are also English subtitles. This season clocks in at 593 minutes.

Yes, Dutch and Claudette got a little short-changed over the season, and some people believe it gave season four less focus on the other cast. But honestly, I didn't mind. A lot went on and I was excited to be along for the ride. A great season and a great example of one of the first successes in the now common cable channel move of grabbing big-name movie actors for single-season arcs in their dramas.

Friday Night Lights - The First Season - DVD Review

I'd been anticipating the Region 4 DVD release of the first season of Friday Night Lights for quite some time, due to the resumes of those involved and the glowing reviews from critics. I certainly wasn't disappointed. One introductory point I'd like to make which has never been a problem for me - but can be for many, is the show's premise - or what the show is about. This is not a football show. Firstly, a scripted prime time drama primarily about a sport isn't realistic or sustainable, so I'm not sure how people get these ideas into their heads. Obviously, the sport is going to be secondary to character or plot - and in the case of Friday Night Lights the fact is glaringly obvious, as the show is exceptionally character-driven, as opposed to plot-driven or even sport-driven.

Anyway, the series is helmed by Jason Katims who wrote for such shows as Roswell, My So-Called Life, Relativity, and the new ABC show Parenthood. This is important because the show continues the tradition of very personal shows that never get bogged down in plot - I can't really say that about Roswell - but that show has a complex behind-the-scenes story. The show was developed for television by Peter Berg who directed the feature film based on a book that this series is based on. The show maintains the hand held visual style and the beautiful, atmospheric guitar-driven music from Explosions in the Sky that the movie had. Although not scored by Explosions in the Sky, W.G. Snuffy Walden adapts their style of music for the show, fantastically.

Friday Night Lights is about life in small town America, and it takes an even-sided approach, looking carefully at the good and bad. The Texan town of Dillon, in which the show is set, is driven by high-school football. It connects the entire town and brings all of the characters together through a common interest. This is quite a beautiful thing and shows the great aspects of small town life. The show centers around Eric Taylor, (Kyle Chandler, Early Edition) his wife Tami, (Connie Britton, who also played the coach's wife in the Friday Night Lights feature film) and daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden, 90210) who move to Dillon when Eric takes a head coaching job for the high school football team. They find out very quickly how seriously the town takes football when they go from love for the coach to hate as quickly as a final game buzzer. Among the other characters are boozing footballer Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch, The Covenant), star quarterback Jason Street (Scott Porter, Prom Night), cheerleader and boyfriend to star quarterback, Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly), slut with little self-respect, Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki, Supernatural), and many more. My point is that these are all very stereotypical characters. However, the thing Friday Night Lights does amazingly, is add extra dimensions to these characters and allows them to grow and become layered. I can comfortably say that about every one of characters in the cast. The show uses some improvisation in scenes to enhance the show's realism as well as multiple cameras so the cast can freely develop scenes without extensive blocking. This was a very wise move by the producers as it gives the show a unique edge over a lot of what is currently on television. The scripted dialogue should also be mentioned as it is usually perfect. Whenever the show does take a rare misstep in plotting, the dialogue and performances still retain emotional truth and naturalism. It really is a testament to the show's cast and crew when such a huge aspect of the show never falters.

The strongest episodes of the first season are in the first half which is near-perfect. Later on in the season, as if the writers hadn't heavily outlined a full 22 episode season, some plot-lines are put on characters, as opposed to them growing organically from the characters. As I said, even when this is the case the show is still compelling and I really hope the rest of the series lives up to the greatness achieved in the first sixteen or so episodes. I'm not going to discuss the plot or any events that happen over the season just because the show is very light on plot and the wonderful moments on the show are the little things; the interactions, the small changes in character - so I'll leave you pure.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 is clear and sounds great, however, I wish that 5.1 was used as is in the U.S. release.

Video

The video is in 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and looks absolutely wonderful. I love the show's visual style and some may find the flat colours and grain annoying, but I think it adds to the shows huge emotional resonance along with the beautiful score and music.

Extras

There are no special features on this release which is a damn shame, considering the U.S. release did come with some. Oh well, let's hope for the season 2 release to step up and git'er done.

If you like cable drama or some of the great but few downbeat network dramas like My So-Called Life and Once and Again then please watch this show as enough people don't. Screw you NBC for ruining yet another one of your dramas and thank you DirecTV for picking the show up and giving it a second lease on life.

Breaking Bad - S03E01 - No Mas

This season opener 'No Mas' is a direct continuation from the last season, as opposed to a new beginning. New beginnings are certainly being suggested at, but they aren't here yet. This was an unusual - but by no means bad - plotting move, as cable dramas tend to wrap up a seasonal storyline and start anew, with some character threads running over as well as maybe a cliffhanger or two. The newly introduced plot that stands out this episode was delivered through the teaser - so characteristically it was packed with ambiguity. Similarly to last seasons 'pool and teddy bear' teasers, the sequence had a distinct visual style. In a yellowish tinge, two tough guys who look like twins ritualistically crawl all the way through a Mexican village up to a small temple. In the room contains a sketch of Walt wearing sunglasses and his awesome hat. What follows asserts them as definite contenders for big bad's this season. That said, I hardly think Gilligan would reveal everything so plainly without having an array of mind-fucks and plot-twists planned for the teasers following the opener. The obviousness of the scary Mexican brother-guy's coming after Walt to kill him just invites me to question it. Hey, maybe they're finding Walt to help him. Probably a stretch to make predictions with so little information - nonetheless, I'm excited to analyse the next teaser sequence and I found this one very unsettling.

I will be back next episode for a more in-depth review as things between Walt and Skylar should escalate and we can see where this season is taking Jesse.

The Sarah Silverman Program - Season One - DVD Review

Sarah Silverman is offensive, crude, silly, and mean - but that's okay, 'cause after every hateful and bigoted thing that flies from her mouth follows an innocent smile. That's her comedy.

Comedy Central ordered 6 episodes for the first season of the outrageous comedienne's subversive take on the sitcom, The Sarah Silverman Program. Nobody thought it would survive for any longer than a season, due to the nature of Silverman's comedy and of course, it's Comedy Central. Yes, this is quite a short season, but almost all the episodes are fantastic. The show revolves around Silverman playing a fiction version of herself - ala Larry David. If I had to compare the show to another it would definitely be Curb Your Enthusiasm. The two shows aren't really all that similar, however, the set-up of a comedian playing a very distinct version of themselves in a very distinct comedy world is the big similarity. The differences are in their specific comedy styles. Silverman's character lives with and off her younger sister Laura (played by her real-life older sister Laura Silverman). The fact that Sarah makes herself the older sister in the sitcom tells you just the kind of character you can expect - an extremely self-centered child. Her and her sister are joined by Laura's cop boyfriend Office Jay McPherson (Jay Johnston, Mr. Show) and their two gay neighbors Brian (Brian Posehn, Mr. Show) and Steve (Steve Agee, who wrote for Jimmy Kimmel Live!). Over the course of the first season Sarah gets up to a lot of mischief including, getting messed up on cough syrup, taking in a homeless guy, getting AIDS, shitting her pants, and meeting God. Just to be clear, the show isn't at all driven by plot but by twisted and scatological situational humor. The show also plays with sitcom conventions or tropes like the best friends next door and the concluding, 'what have we learned' scene in which Sarah, before going to bed, tells her dog what lessons and morals she learned over the episode - you can probably guess this trope is always subverted to the extreme. Then there's the musical side to the show. Each episode features a number by Silverman that loosely relates to show. Among others there's a poop song and a song on what is wrong with the world.

Now I'll discuss why so many people find the show inaccessible or offensive. When Sarah makes an ignorant statement you can often see social commentary behind it and find it funny (eg. Wonder Showzen). However, the point to a lot of her humour is the awkwardness that comes from the inability to figure out what the joke is trying to say on a political level. One of my favourite gags from the first season is when Sarah wakes up and we see she set her alarm clock for 9:11. It's certainly not a comment on anything, it's hilarious because it's stupidly offensive, frivolous, and pointless.

Video

The image is full frame and I really have no quality complaints.

Audio

The Stereo audio is fine, the musical numbers sound good, but there is an occasional bad mix of dialogue, however, that's sometimes the case with a lot of these low-budget Comedy Central shows.

Extras

Special Features:

• Musical Performances
• Sing-Along
• Audio Commentary

The musical performances are from a live acoustic show with Sarah and occasional Laura making stupid songs about dumb things. The Sing-Along feature allows you to watch the musical scenes from the episodes with subtitles.

If you think it's up your alley then go ahead and buy it. If you have reservations but still want to check it out then maybe a rental would be wise. On a final note, it makes me happy to know there's a very original and funny female comedian doing her own thing and gaining a lot of recognition.

Skins - S04E07 - Effy

As we reach the end of an outstanding season of episodes I feel I should step in for a moment before the finale to discuss this very odd game-changer of an episode. For most of the duration I felt like writer Jamie Brittain and director Daniel O'Hara were screwing with me. We all know this episode has caught massive criticism, however, I think I can provide a slightly different rant. Hopefully a little more thoughtful and a little less 'internet'.

Spoilers ahead.

I guess my reaction to the episode was mostly to do with expectation. The odd sense of foreboding. The psychotherapy scenes - Foster's methods immediately felt strange. The quirky teacher/adult trope that already felt old, extended to absurdity. The stylised scene where John Foster closes the door to his office. The last scene being shot completely like a genre film. Cooke's reference to Stephen King. Effy grappling with what is real and what isn't. I often read too far into these things and am left confused - as was the case here. The real story is quite simple. Apparently I wasn't being screwed with. Apparently Effy's psychotherapist is a violent and obsessed creep who brutally murders her boyfriend. Played completely straight - Footballer's Wives style. All credit where credit is due, though. When you create a fairly-realistic, existential world for your show, then go do something like this, it really gets people to pay attention and analyse. It's a similar thing when shows like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Mad Men, or whatever, show extreme emotion or extreme violence. It really kicks you in the gut and makes you reflect on what you saw. And the show's earned it due to their gradual and ambiguous character-driven storytelling. I just thought that something even stranger was happening, e.g. Tony's (Stonem not Soprano) dream episode. Anyway, I love how the writers subverted their own quirky teacher/adult trope by actually making Foster a deranged lunatic. By then we knew the trope all too well and may have even been sick of it, but the subversion added to the shock-value. The American Psycho reference was fun too.

Now for the finale...

Supernatural - The Complete Second Season - DVD Review

I was looking forward to seeing the second season of Supernatural to find out which direction the show would be taken in after the intermittent excitement of the first season. The show really has a lot of potential and works on a higher level as well as being a little more serialised this time around.

The opener "In My Time of Dying" was an excellent start to the season and immediately dealt with the cliffhanger that closed the first. I was a little skeptical at first as, generally speaking, having characters in a car crash as an end of season cliffhanger is usually pretty lazy and simplistic. That's not to say that absurd cliffhangers aren't awesome... Can I get a high-five for Melrose? It was just something I didn't really expect from this show. Anyway, the episode was very eventful and set-up the season and the rest of the series while also retaining a lot of character nuance that makes the show so great. Almost a perfect season opener. The episodes following range from above average to good. Some of them help set-up the seasonal arc which has to do with the 'special children' like Sam who the Yellow-Eyed Demon 'wants'. This is purposefully vague to begin with and the story progresses and closes by the end of the season. I commend Kripke for wrapping a story up without dragging it on too long but it felt meandering even before the middle of the season. I don't think this particular story-arc of the season was balanced properly and there could have been much more progression earlier in the season rather than having the bulk of the story in the final two-parter. The finale was great but after all the incredible episodes from episode 12 Nightshifter to episode 20 What is and What Should Never Be, I wasn't that excited for the 'special children' story. The transition just felt a little jarring. However, this was one heck of a season and from Nightshifter onwards are the best episodes the show has produced. They range from intense character-study to horror to comedy to action and drama. It's just amazing stuff and make the season amazing regardless of any other minor flaws. There are some great guest stars during the season such as Linda Blair (The Exorcist) and Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica). The comedic episodes too suggest a more self-reflexive show like Buffy and The X-Files were, and I'm sure as the show goes on there will be breather episodes that go even further than Hollywood Babylon.

Video

I found the widescreen transfer to be very clean and the great visual style of the show intact and represented well. Not a single issue.

Audio

The Dolby 5.1 sounds flawless, everything is mixed properly and the source music is fantastic.

Extras

Special Features:

• Unaired scenes
• Commentary on 2 key episodes by series stars and creative team
• The Devil's Road Map: Interactive U.S. map guide to urban legends and factoids pertaining to each episode
• Jared's original screen test for the role of Sam
• Gag reel
  

Four episodes have deleted scenes and the two commentaries are on great episodes. There aren't a load of special features, but of course, it could have been a lot worse and Jared's screen test and the interactive map are nice touches.

If your a fan and have already seen the first season then pick this up as soon as possible 'cause your in for a treat. If you haven't seen the show then go back and see the first season and know that it will be worth it because the show hasn't been canceled or jumped the shark. Especially if you are a fan of shows like Buffy and The X-Files as this seems to be heading in a similar direction - in a good way.

Caprica - S01E01 - Pilot

Caprica is a spin-off prequel to the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica that ran on the The Sci-Fi (SyFy) Channel for a miniseries, four seasons, and two TV movies. However, this is a different show - one that, in my view, will completely polarize the fan base.

So, the prequel takes place 58 years before the devastating beginning of Battlestar Galactica. The show centers around two families, the Graystone's and the Adama's. The patriarchs of the families come together after they share a family tragedy. Eric Stoltz (Once and Again) plays Daniel Graystone, the man responsible for developing the Cylons. He is working on an early model when family tragedy strikes and he then dives headfirst into developing his machine and exploring it's capabilities. Paula Malcomson (Deadwood, John from Cincinnati) plays his wife Amanda Greystone, incredibly well and gives huge depth and credibility to her character and the show. With weaker actors playing the parts of this couple, the show would be much less genuine. They're daughter Zoe is played well by Alessandra Torresani who will likely be a very prominent and key character in the series. On the other side of the tracks is Joseph Adama played by Esai Morales (NYPD Blue). The Adama's are the more lower-class of the two families and that dynamic always has a lot of potential - it creates a large scope. He and his son, William Adama, who we all know from Battlestar, also suffer great loss and it's with this that the two fathers find common ground. However, it seems that they're friendship is not long for this world... They have opposing views on the work that Graystone does, and also the setup is in motion to make them rivals, as is typically the case in big prime time soaps like Dallas, etc. Adama's brother is an enforcer for the mob which gives the series another aspect to explore. It will also bring some moral complexity to this family as the Graystone's have their technological advancements. Joseph Adama will probably be tasked with making very big decisions for his family. There is all sorts of potential for him to get in trouble with the mob or in too deep with them.

My initial thoughts on the pilot were very positive. I mean, this felt like a very mature show, or at least, has the potential to be. I know a lot of people will disagree with the sentiment, but please, look below the surface. Execution makes a show adult or mature, not subject matter or premise or setting. I just feel the show to be extremely character-driven and the driving force of the show so far has been a couple of families dealing with personal tragedy. I know Battlestar also had characters dealing with that off the bat too, however, there were immediate external problems that 'grounded' the character stuff. It's hard to make a large claim on the execution of a show after just a pilot, as the show hasn't yet settled into any rhythm or formula. But if I had to make an educated guess I would say it will run in the same way a prime time soap would - and trust me, that's not a bad thing.

If you're a fan of great drama and science-fiction then I advise that you check this one out. However, if you like your sci-fi nerdy and with a lot of special effects, then this is absolutely, definitely not for you.

The League of Gentlemen - The Entire First Series - DVD Review

The League of Gentlemen is a sketch comedy show based around a large group of sick and depraved characters who live in a town named Royston Vasey. Mark Gattis (Nighty Night), Steve Pemberton (Psychoville, Blackpool), Reece Shearsmith (Psychoville), and Jeremy Dyson who, unlike the others, just writes for the show and doesn't perform more than the occasional cameo. These guys are very talented performers and play the parts of just about every single role on the show. The costuming and make-up is amazing and the performers convincingly transform themselves into the hugely varying characters with ease.

The six episodes that make up the entire first series give us a great sketch-y comedy show that actually builds as it goes on. The set-up of the show is similar to a much weaker show Little Britain, in which characters go through the same situations each weak with a slight variation, and usually the same terrible catchphrase. The League turn this idea on it's head by being very creative in the way they recreate similar situations each week in very different ways and have a slow-build that enhances a subversive and even a cumulative dramatic effect of the show.

Video

The widescreen video transfer isn't perfect, there is a little grain and some motion blur but it isn't overly noticeable and shouldn't put anyone off from the release.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 audio on the other hand is excellent with the dialogue and music mix sounding clear and full.

Extras

Special Features:

• Character biographies
• Photo gallery
• Cast and director commentary
• Over 20 minutes of unseen material
  

The commentaries are fantastic, offering additional insight into the characters as well as discussing problems, changes, and the making of the show. The deleted scenes are better than most, probably due to some of them being cut by the network rather than left out because they were pointless or bland.

None of the characters are particularly likable, the situations are disturbing, there are tons of horror film references, and the show holds an overall nihilistic tone which may put some light or mainstream viewers off. However, if you enjoy dark or alternative comedy then I recommend the show. I've heard it gets even better.