[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MomH7N_cGgE[/yt] Just saw this, a look at current and upcoming BBC shows. It's looking like there's a pretty good slate of drama coming up.
Yus. That's what you get for calling a Welsh lass English, I suppose. Exile and Doctor Who have already started (obviously), The Shadow Line starts later this week. Not sure about the others.
I see BBC1 controller Danny Cohen has stated that there are too many male detectives on BBC. Which is fair enough, but he went and threw the baby out with the bath water by cancelling the excellent Zen. Shame, as it and Wallander were the only UK 'tec shows I've watched in an age. Anyway, back on topic, these shows do indeed look promising, though I've missed Exile. Apart from Doctor Who and Torchwood The Shadow Line is probably the one that interests me most (and not just because it's got a former DW in it!).
I'm getting a bit sick of Detective shows. A review piece in the Guardian summed it up quite nicely for me this weekend. They go to great lengths to create these lovely characters in the leads; realistic, understandable, sympathetic or easy to relate to. Then they create the most absurd crime and contrived whodunnit and throw the whole thing into farce. The problem, it seems, is that the sort of crime detective shows thrive on is very, very rare to the point of almost never happening. So creating a 'mystery' tends to ruin these very grounded, gritty realism type shows.
Not sure if this is relevent but I quite liked the Crimson Petal and the White, even if it did end with a bit of an anti climax. I am tempted by Shadow Line.
I only saw the first episode, it was pretty good but a series link wouldn't set so I missed the rest.
It was good, but like I say meandered around a bit at the end and I was slightly dissapointed with the finale. That said I've heard the author's written more books based on some of the characters so maybe the Beeb were leaving it somewhat open.
What did you think of "Exile?" I'm interested in seeing it, if and when it ever makes its way to BBCA.
Exile is a three-part serial, with John Simm as a mess of a tabloid journalist who's forced to go back home to his sister (Olivia Coleman) and senile father (Jim Broadbent), and gets caught up in an old scandal which is somehow connected to the reason why he left in the first place - a savage and unprovoked beating inflicted by his father.
I really liked Exile. I don't watch too many detective shows, and Eccleston is a big draw for me, so I'm looking forward to Shadow Line later. Edit - missed that Torchwood bit on the TV, always happy to see Katya from Neighbours get a kicking, especially from our Gwen!
Shadowline: bloody brilliant. Complex, grown-up, first class British drama. Made no concessions to easing you into the story; you just had to hang on and work it out for yourself. Stellar cast, all superb.
I thought that Luther was very good, but then I'm a big fan of Idris Elba anyway! Renewed for second season as well.
^^Thank you for mentioning Luther getting a second series. Watched it last year and didn't hear too much about how it did and worried-with that ending, whether the storyline would ever be resolved.
I loved Luther;it made me a HUGE Idris Elba fan. I just hope that BBCA doesn't take forever to air the second season here.
I've only watched the first episode so far but that as very interesting, I thought. I won't get a chance to watch the other two till next week. Luther I quite liked when I got past the first couple of episodes. But they didn't actually give it a second series they just gave it two 2 hour specials.