TV - Reviews by 23skidoo

TV - Reviews by 23skidoo

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
23skidoo 9th Dec 2017		TV The Orville (2017 - Now)	Rated 10/10 Undeniably the most unexpected and pleasant surprise of the fall 2017 US TV season, this big-hearted, extremely well-written and performed science-fiction dramedy caught a lot of people off-guard, seeing it was created by and mostly written by Seth MacFarlane, who up till now has been known primarily for raunchy, edgy, low-brow comedy like Family Guy. It was like Frankie Howerd suddenly doing a police drama. But MacFarlane has hidden depths and it's forgotten that he spearheaded the well-regarded sequel to Carl Sagan's science masterpiece Cosmos and has been trying to mount his own Star Trek series for years. As a result, The Orville feels more like a Star Trek series than the latest version of that franchise, Discovery (it even has a number of Trek veterans producing and directing the show and occasionally features cameos from actors associated with the Trek franchise). It perfectly reflects Gene Roddenberry's optimistic future worldview, but through a modern-day lens. It looks and feels like Star Trek TNG, but some of the issues examined, ranging from transgender rights to sexual consent and social media peer pressure, give the show a "ripped from the headlines feel." Even with the occasional off-colour joke. The cast of the show are superb, with Halston Sage's Alara becoming a fan favourite though, to be fair, all the characters have become beloved even over the dozen episodes that made up the first season. The fact a lot of what it does has been done before - several episodes have used similar plots to Trek, Black Mirror, etc - is actually a strength as the show is recognizing that the stories and themes are still relevant for a 2017 audience. The Orville isn't perfect - there are rough edges, some of the stands the show takes on issues are controversial with some, and not all the humour scores - but for those wanting an oasis from the (often) MA-rated, dark, depressing SF series on TV right now (for the most part the only relief from that are the superhero shows and even a number of them have gone dark and MA-rated), and if Star Trek Discovery is not appealing (though there's no law saying you can't enjoy both), then The Orville is worth savoring. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
23skidoo 8th Jan 2016		TV Doctor Who (1963 - Now)	Rated 10/10 There is absolutely no other show on TV like Doctor Who. For one thing, despite the show having been a presence since 1963 (it ran 26 seasons until 1989, then took an extended hiatus - it was never cancelled - until 2005, with a 1996 TV movie in-between and copious reruns, novels, comics, etc to fill the gap) it's never gotten stale. That of course is due to the show's main "gimmick" that The Doctor can regenerate, allowing a new actor to take over the part every few years. This, combined with his co-star "companions" also changing periodically, lets the show continually reinvent itself. Originally conceived as a show for kids, Doctor Who quickly began building a large adult following. Since 2005 the series has managed to (usually) successfully maintain a family-friendly feel. While so many other contemporary shows (especially in the sci-fi genre) seem to think viewers want to see sex scenes and heavy violence in every episode, Doctor Who is a breath of fresh air. At the same time it keeps piling on the role models, strong characters (particularly female characters), spectacle, humor - and it isn't afraid to make the viewers cry, either. Other shows rely on shock value, or pushing the envelope in ways that generate headlines. Doctor Who, meanwhile, quietly goes about its business delivering some of the best drama - never mind sci-fi - in live action TV. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?