A Word or Two About New Year's Eve

Just a few final words on the New Year's Eve we are about to experience from John Oliver on HBO's Last Week Tonight.  In this video, he compares New Year's Eve to the death of a pet where "you know it is going to happen, but somehow you're never truly prepared for how awful it really is."  He recommends avoiding the whole evening, and provides a few excuses to use with friends, such as "simply tell them you are doing a cleanse."  So with all of this in mind, whatever your plans, I wish you all a very Happy New Year. 

Season Two of Penny Dreadful

Showtime has released a trailer for the upcoming season two of Penny Dreadful.  While it does not reveal much, it does appear that Vanessa Ives is coming to terms with her "condition."  The series, starring Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton and Eva Green, was a nice surprise earlier this year, being a mash up of various London-based or London-created demons.  And this was not your usual love triangle between a werewolf and vampire fighting over the girl, though of course there was some of that as well (as well as Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and a few more twists).

In discussing season two during an interview with The Huffington Post, creator John Logan (who also wrote the movies Hugo, Skyfall, and Gladiator) had this to way about his acting team:  

They are a brilliant cast and they inspire me on a daily basis. The second season, in a way, was easier to write, in that I knew the actors' voices. Or, I should say, I knew the character's voices. And in a way, it was more challenging to write, because I realized these actors are capable of anything. They are fearless. So the limits I placed on myself in the first season, I took off in the second season. Because I know Eva Green will happily go there, and Josh will go there, and Tim will go there, and go there enthusiastically because they trust me and they trust in the central -- and this is important -- morality of our tale.

Season two will have a total of 10 episodes, compared to the 8 episodes of season one.  I look forward to the start on another great season.  In the meantime, the Penny Dreadful blog can provide some additional information on the series.
 

Black Mirror: See What You are Missing

Netflix did us all of favor by hosting two seasons of Britain's Black Mirror, a collection of self-contained dramas that are certain to leave you a little unsettled.  I wrote about this series years ago when it was hot in Britain yet less well-known here.  Well, now you can easily catch up and see it for yourself during the holiday break.  

Back in 2012 I wrote about the first season's three episodes.  Well, here is a little more on the second season's three episodes:

-- Be Right Back:  This episode involves a couple moving to the countryside, experiencing a tragedy, and trying to overcome it with technology.  As fascinating look at the danger of getting what you asked for.

-- White Bear:  This is a very disturbing look at crime and punishment, and how all of us have become voyeurs to a questionable justice system.  With all the stories in the news about police arrests gone bad, and the role of video cameras, this story could not be more timely. 

-- The Waldo Moment:  This final story says a lot about the electorate falling for the cynical candidate.  Again, a very timely story in a time of low poll ratings for Congress and poor voter turnout at elections.  I just hope we don't go this route.

A special holiday show called White Christmas was also broadcast in the UK recently, though it is not part of the Netflix collection.  The 90-minute series starred Jon Hamm and was showing in multiple parts.  Let's hope Netflix adds this story as well (I also found it was posted to YouTube).  And maybe we will even see a third season of Black Mirror at some point. 

A Great Discussion on 2014 TV Shows

I recommend you take a look at Slate magazine's series called The TV Club.  Seventeen posts are already available discussing some of best shows in 2014.  You can also see each of the critics top 10 favorite shows of the year.  The critics include Maureen Ryan (Huffington Post), Willa Paskin (Slate), June Thomas (Slate), and James Poniewozik (Time).  The critics discuss whether Fargo or True Detective was the better series, the advantages of streaming shows, the death of the sitcom, and much more.

By the way, here is Maureen Ryan's favorite shows of 2014 to start the debate.  I will have my own list later.

1. The Americans
2.  Enlisted  
3. Happy Valley 
4. Jane the Virgin 
5. Orange Is the New Black 
6. Penny Dreadful 
7. Rectify 
8. Review 
9. Transparent 
10. You’re the Worst 

New Years Video: Some Things to Remember in 2014

Jib Jab put together a concise (and funny) video highlighting the craziness of 2014.  The Sony computer hack is only the latest in a long line of events that make you wonder if the world went mad, from ISIS and Putin to Ebola and Cosby.  Let's hope 2015 is a little better.

Christmas Video: David Bowie and Bing Crosby

Here is a clip from 1977 showing David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth.  The website OpenCulture provides a little bit of background: 

In 1977, just a short month before Bing Crosby died of a heart attack, the 40s crooner hosted David Bowie, the glam rocker, on his Christmas show. The awkwardness of the meeting is palpable. An older, crusty Crosby had no real familiarity with the younger, androgynous Bowie, and Bowie wasn’t crazy about singing The Little Drummer Boy. So, shortly before the show’s taping, a team of writers had to frantically retool the song, blending the traditional Christmas song with a newly-written tune called Peace on Earth...After one hour of rehearsal, the two singers recorded The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth and made a little classic. The Washington Post has the backstory on the strange Bing-Bowie meeting. 

Merry Christmas!

Another Superhero - This Time on Netflix

Now that Marco Polo is out the door, Netflix can prepare for the 13-episode series Daredevil.  Marvel Comics is testing out new venues for its character, and Ben Affleck has nothing to do with this version.  Instead, Charlies Cox will play the main character, blind lawyer by day, dark crime-fighter by night.

And be prepared for some violent scenes, as Entertainment Weekly noted:

 It’s a more grounded depiction of violence than we’re used to seeing in Marvel movies. But that seems to be the goal. Charlie Cox described Daredevil as “a character [who] suits a slightly older audience,” and Netflix affords the creative team the ability to go darker “without alienating anyone.”

After Daredevil, watch for other superheros to appear, including Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage.  Yes, Netflix is serious about taking Marvel to a whole new level, assuming we do not tire out of these heroes by then.   

More Christmas Specials

With only about a week left until Christmas, here are a few more shows to get you into the holiday spirit.

-- Michael Buble's Christmas in New York (NBC, Dec. 17, 8pm ET)

-- Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown (CW, Dec. 17, 8pm ET)

-- I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown! (ABC, Dec. 20, 8pm ET)

-- Rudolph's Shiny New Year (ABC Family, Dec. 22, 5:30pm ET)

-- The Year Without a Santa Claus (ABC Family, Dec. 22, 7:30pm ET)

-- One Direction:  The TV Special (NBC, Dec. 23, 8pm ET)

TV Award Nominations This Week

The Golden Globes nominees were revealed earlier this week, which included the following television categories and nominees:

-- Best TV Series, Drama:  Downton Abbey, The Affair, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and The Good Wife

-- Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy:  Orange is the New Black, Girls, Jane the Virgin, Transparent, and Silicon Valley

-- Best TV Movie or Mini-Series:  Olive Kitteridge, Fargo, The Missing, True Detective, and The Normal Heart

I was glad to see The Affair and Fargo on the list, two new shows this year that provided a unique experience for viewers.   I was hoping to see Outlander as well, another terrific new series.  And I expect Netflix (House of Cards and Orange is the New Black) and Amazon (Transparent) will be please to see three of their shows on the nominee list as well, providing further evidence that the non-TV content providers are here to stay. The winners will be announced January 11th.

The Screen Actors Guild also revealed its nominees this week, so you may want to visit this list as well.  HBO had the highest number of nominations, with 14 nominees, followed by 5 nominees each for ABC, Netflix, and Showtime.  The winners will be announced January 25th.  

Ascension: Wagon Train to the Stars

Syfy's three-night mini-series Ascension begins Monday night (Dec. 15), and it looks like the beginning of a full series if all goes well.  The basic story relates to a JFK-era space mission to save the human race by sending a new Noah's ark to a distant planet.  We get involved in the story about 50 years into the mission after a murder takes place.  Is this CGI meets Lost in Space? Maybe, but I am hoping for more.  You can find a trailer here. 

One of the stars in the new series is Tricia Helfer, who you may remember as the beautiful yet treacherous cylon from Battlestar Galactica.  In her former state, she is not a woman you would want on a long space mission.  Hopefully, her character is a little more helpful in this series.  

According to TV Guide, Syfy is thinking about the future as well:
 
"We're already thinking about Ascension becoming a series if [the mini] does well," says Bill McGoldrick, Syfy's executive vice president of original content. "We've made a huge commitment here, creatively and financially. It would be great to get the band back together." The set of the ship alone is a budget-buster: five stories tall with a fully functioning elevator at its center.

However, Variety magazine does not see such a future:

In the broad strokes, it’s hard not to admire Syfy’s bet on something of this magnitude without the sort of built-in following or name recognition that’s normally considered a prerequisite to such a launch. Even “Galactica,” after all, was a reboot of an existing title.

You can decide for yourself next week.

Netfix Brings Us Marco Polo

Netflix continues to offer its own content, this time in the form of the historic tale of Marco Polo. And this history you can absorb over the holidays and come away all the better because of it.  While we all know the story, here is Netflix's short summary: 

"Marco Polo" is an epic adventure that follows the early years of the famous explorer as he travels the exotic Silk Road to the great Kublai Khan’s court. But Marco soon finds that navigating the Khan’s world of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry will be his greatest challenge yet, even as he becomes a trusted companion to the Khan in his violent quest to become the Emperor of the World. 

Here is the trailer if you want to see for yourself. 

You may remember another version of this story back in 2007 with Ian Somerhalder in the role of Marco and Brian Dennehy playing Kubliai Khan (don't ask). It was not a great retelling, but had its moments. In this latest version it appears Netflix had more funding and better casting. 

And we can expect even more original shows from Netflix in the future. Earlier this week Netflix stated it had plans to roll out as many as 20 original series or seasons of original series each year. That is a lot of new shows at a time other content providers, including the networks, cable companies, and streaming services (from Amazon to Crackle) are doing the same.  Good news for viewers, but we will have to be much more discerning if we want to find time to eat and sleep.

What is the Red Tent?

Tomorrow night and Monday night Lifetime will broadcast a new miniseries called The Red Tent, based on the the novel of the same name by Anita Diamant. Here is how Lifetime describes the new show:

“The Red Tent” is a sweeping tale that takes place during the times of the Old Testament, told through the eyes of Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob. Airing over two nights, the all-star cast includes Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Minnie Driver (“Return to Zero,” “About a Boy”), Emmy nominee Morena Baccarin (“Homeland”), Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Ferguson (“The White Queen”), Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”), Will Tudor (“Game of Thrones”) and Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Debra Winger (“Terms of Endearment”).

The miniseries begins with Dinah’s (Ferguson) happy childhood spent inside the red tent where the women of her tribe gather and share the traditions and turmoil of ancient womanhood. The film recounts the story of Dinah’s mothers Leah (Driver), Rachel (Baccarin), Zilpah and Bilhah, the four wives of Jacob (Glen). Dinah matures and experiences an intense love that subsequently leads to a devastating loss, and the fate of her family is forever changed. Winger portrays Rebecca, Jacob’s mother while Tudor stars as Joseph, Dinah’s brother.

With the movie Exodus: Gods and Kings also coming to theaters next week, it may be a good time pull out the Bible and read along.  And with so many Game of Thrones actors coming over to The Red Tent, you might just think the series will have its own share of violence, and you are not wrong.  Take a look at the trailer and you will see what I mean.  

Profile: Donal Logue

You have seen him in Gotham, Terriers, and Vikings, just to name of few of the television series where he plays a key role.  Donal Logue is the ever-present and likable actor that everyone sees yet no one seems to talk about, until now.  Rolling Stone magazine had a good article on the actor titled "The Ultimate 'That Guy' Guy." 

I recommend the article if you want to learn a few more facts about this talented actor, including how he started his career with the Boston punk band roadie and nowadays, with off and on work, how he maintains his own trucking company on the side.

I am not overly impressed with the script in Gotham, but that is not Donal Logue's fault.  However, I recommend viewing his work in Vikings and particularly Terriers if you want to see some terrific acting (Donal even spoke about a Terrier movie in this Collider interview).  His laid back style works whether he plays a warlord or a drunken detective.  He deserves more recognition than he gets, but he seems to be happy with whatever comes his way. 

TV Quote: The End of Television?

"It's kind of like the horse, you know, the horse was good until we had the car,...The age of broadcast TV will probably last until 2030."

-- Netflix CEO Reed Hastings' comment on the future of television as reported in The Hollywood Reporter.