Kings

First off, Kings isn't available to stream on Netflix, but it is on Hulu (and you don't even need Hulu Plus to watch it).  Kings is a 13 episode modern retelling of the story of King Saul's fall and King David's rise to power.  It covers much of the events recounted in the fist book of Samuel, starting with David & the goliath and ending shortly before the whole witch of Endor thing.  However,  the story is a very loose retelling; even a good knowledge of the biblical version doesn't provide much in the way of "spoilers".  It would be more accurate to say that it is "inspired by" the biblical material, rather than being a retelling of it.

The biblical Saul is here renamed Silas, and is inhabited very, very well by Ian McShane, whom I know from Pillars of the Earth and you probably know from Deadwood.  Also excellent is Eamonn Walker from Oz as the Reverend (prophet) Samuel.  The other acting is also good.  The writing is solid; it moves at a good clip, the characters mostly seem believable, and there is an interesting pseudo-biblical lyricism to many of King Silas's speeches.  Jonathan, the gay heir apparent, is an interesting character of whom I would have liked to see more.  He's played by Sebastian Stan, who played Bucky Barnes in the new Captain America movie.  I'm told he was also in Gossip Girl.

I was worried about the religiosity of the show, but it's not religious in that ABC Family way at all.  It's religious in the same way Big Love or Battlestar Galactica are religious.  I wish they'd done a better job of promoting this show when it was on TV.  I didn't watch it because they promoted it as a soap opera, and totally left out the sci-fi aspects.  It's a shame, because I think a lot of people would have watched this if they had promoted it to the right sort of watchers, and I really wish there was a second season of it.  Oh well.  :(

The production values are very high.  It's clearly shot in NYC; several landmarks are recognizable in Shiloh.  It's set in the modern day, so there's nothing fancy in the way of costumes or sets, but it is very well directed, and the scenes are always beautifully and evocatively lit.  Overall, I'd give it a B+, with some early episodes rating A.

Some Stuff on Hulu

Here's a two excellent things available to watch on Hulu Plus:

Journeyman was a casualty of the writers' strike, but it's worth giving it a shot.  It's about a newspaperman (that guy from Rome) set adrift in time, solving mysteries and righting wrongs.  In many ways, its very similar to Quantum Leap, but with much more of an ongoing story-arc.  Also, unlike Quantum Leap, there's a lot of "love triangle" plot (I'm not sure if that's good or not).  This show is well written, and the acting is good, but its nothing extraordinary.  B+ if you like sci-fi.  Probably only B- if you don't.

Fact is, NOVA is awesome.  If I need to tell you about NOVA, you're not the sort of person who would like it.  There are almost 50 episodes of NOVA available on Hulu.  I haven't seen all of them, but I particularly recommend Becoming Human, Mind Over Money, and Hunting the Hidden Dimension.  You can also watch several episodes on PBS.

Downton Abbey

I know that I'm late to this party, but Downton Abbey really is as good as you've heard.  You can watch the entire first season on Netflix, and season 2 is available (until March 6th) at PBS.org.  I'm generally not a big fan of the Upstairs/Downstairs sort of thing, so I took awhile to try this show out.  That was a mistake.  What really makes this show great is the writing and acting; every single character (and there are a lot of them) is a complicated, troubled, messy, real human being with their own motivations, ethics, and beliefs.  In addition, the production values are very high, the sets and costumes are Edwardialicious.  A+ for Season 1.  I haven't finished season 2 yet.

Endgame

I've just discovered an awesome Candian show called Endgame on hulu.  If House and Monk had a baby, it would be Endgame. (That is to say, it's another Sherlock allegory).   Here's the setup:  Several months before the show begins (maybe a few years even?), a brilliant world-champion Russian chess star is staying at a Vancouver hotel with his fiance.  She was gunned down right outside the hotel, while he watched.  He now has agoraphobia, and can't leave the hotel.  He's been living there, in a suite, ever since.  His money has run out, and he's about to get evicted.  There is a kidnapping, and he cracks the case.  The grateful father pays his hotel bill.  Thus starts his new career, solving detective "puzzles".  At first, he's just in it for the money, but soon it's all about solving the puzzle.

Since he can't leave the hotel, he has to convince others, including the gruff hotel security chief, a smart, witty maid, and a chess-groupie (math!) grad student to do the legwork for him.  I'm on episode 4 right now, and I'm really enjoying it.

The main character's name is Arkady Balligan, and he's brilliant, funny, playful, but kind of an asshole (very much like House) and tormented by the death of his fiance (like Monk).  He's convinced that he was the real target of the assassination (maybe for murky Russian political reasons), and is consumed by guilt about it.  Other characters include the lovely well-connected bartender and Pippa, the dead fiance's sister (who is angry that Arkady is working on other cases, but not her sister's).

The acting is good, but nothing special.  The writing is the real star; the mysteries are crisp, and the dialog (at least Arkady's) is sparkly sharp.  It was nice to see (and a real contrast with American TV) in the first episode, the kidnapper's parents are a gay couple, and nothing is made of it at all.  The fact that it's two men instead of a man and a woman is completely irrelevant to the plot, and no one suspects them of being child-murderers just because they're gay.

In an interesting mechanic, when Arkady is working through scenarios in his head, we see his thoughts as series of different scenarios for the crime with him talking to the people while they commit the crime.  It's a nice glimpse into his thought process, and adds a unique touch.

B+ so far (based on 3 episodes)  There are 5 episodes available right now (2/1/2012) and new ones come out on Mondays.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret is a weird little British show developed jointly with IFC starring that guy from Arrested Development with that other guy from Arrested Development.  It's about a bumbling nice guy who "accidentally" gets a job distributing a (possibly toxic and/or radioactive) Korean energy drink.  Wacky hijinks ensue.  The show starts in media res with Todd on trial for a litany of crimes, including terrorism, kiddie porn, and other horrible things.  Ove the six episodes that follow, we see just how a ridiculous series of increasingly poor decisions led to that predicament.  It's well written and acted, funny often, and stupid almost as often.  It wants to be Arrested Development, but it needs a more convincing straight man and to take itself much more seriously.  That being said, it's funny enough.  A solid B.

The Colony

So, faithful readers know that I have an embarrassing prediction for post-apocalypse fiction.  Recently, I ran across a post-apocalypse "reality" TV show called The Colony.  About 10 people are stranded in an abandoned urban-blight warehouse/industrial compound and have to forge a new life.  There's no "game show" aspect to it.

The first season is made awesome by the presence of not 1, but TWO mad scientists. The first is a gray bushy-haired computer engineer named John.  Not too much of a spoiler:  at one point he builds a bad-ass fire-thrower.  The second mad scientist is even more awesome:  his name is Vlad.  He's a Croatian mechanical engineer, who's quite the woods-man.  He escaped from Communist Croatia when he was a teenager. Bonus: a second middle aged Croatian, a grumpy green contractor named Michael.

The show isn't intended (I hope) to be a "real" post-apocalypse scenario.  It's more like Mythbusters crossed with The Real World.  It's good fun, and has lots of awesome engineering porn.  (How to make wood gas, how to build a solar array, etc)

The second season, peopled primarily by attractive young people, is not nearly as good.  I stopped watching after the fourth episode of season 2. B+ for season 1, C for the first part of season 2.

United States of Tara

The United States of Tara is one of the few shows I discovered on Netflix that really surprised me with how good it was.  Netflix has been recommending it to me for a while, but the premise seemed so hokey, I couldn't bring myself to watch.  A while ago, I was home sick from work, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did, and you will be too.  The show focuses on a woman with multiple personalities, played beautifully by Toni Collette, who I've been watching for a long time.  It was great to see her in a long-term role like this;  she really dug into it.

I know it seems like this show must be stupid, or even offensive, but it's not.  The writing (by Diablo Cody) is tight and sparkling, and all the actors are very good, especially John Corbett as the husband and some kid I don't know the name of as the son.  It's particularly nice to see teenagers represented as actual fully-developed people who, despite not quite knowing who they are yet (and who does?), have consistent personalities that make sense.

I really like the family dynamic on this show, and how sensitively (but hilariously) it treats mental illness.  I rate it A-, with some A+ and some B episodes.

Borgia

Do you miss the show Rome?  The beautiful costumes and settings?  The intrigue and sexy collusion?  Borgia is a pretty good substitute.  It follows the papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, aka Pope Alexander the VI.  The girl in the white veil in the picture is his daughter, Lucretia (Lucrezia).  You've probably heard of her; there are swirling legends of her poisoning her husbands, sleeping with her brothers, and murdering a swath across Europe.

The show is well written (it's written by Tom Fontana, the creator of Oz), and the production valus are extremely high, but the acting sometimes leaves something to be desired.  This isn't the Showtime show with Jeremy Irons, it's a European production.  According to IMDB, they came out at the same time (both this year), so I don't think either is based on the other (I guess it was just in the Ether?).  I recommend this series strongly to fans of Rome or similar shows, and look forward to seeing the Showtime version when its available to stream.  B+/A-

Day Break

I started watching a really interesting series that Netflix just got (in fact, it seems like they jut got a lot of new TV, so expect a lot of new TV reviews over the next few weeks.  It's called Day Break.  It stars Taye Diggs (so, so tasty) as a police officer who's been set up for murdering a DA.  He is arrested for the crime soon after he wakes up.  Thing is, he keeps living that same bad day over and over (Groundhogs Day style).  I'm only on the 4th episode, but it's really good so far.  Very complicated plot, with lots of twists and turns, and mystery.  Every "day" you learn a few new clues.  Good cast, interesting idea, strong mystery, lots of action.  I'll keep you posted as I watch more.  B+ so far.

Making SNL

Both 30 Rock: Season 1 and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: The Complete Series  are "behind the scenes" shows about shows very much like Saturday Night Live.  While 30 Rock is straight comedy, Studio 60 is more of a drama. Both of them have amazing writers. Studio 60 is written by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing) and 30 Rock is written by Tina Fey.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the more serious of the two shows.  Like The West Wing, it's witty and biting political commentary, and it holds up well.  It's also quite funny, but it's not a laugh riot.  It does that magical thing that only Aaron Sorkin shows can do...it leaves me wanting to roll my eyes and laugh and cry all at the same time.  It's such a shame that this show was canceled, but it does go down hill in the last few episodes.  Like a lot of shows, it forgets what makes it good, and thinks I care about the characters personal lives. A except the last few episodes, which rate a B.

This show is hilarious.  The first season is pee-your-pants funny, and the other seasons are still laugh-out-loud good.  Alec Baldwin is dead on, and Tina Fey never fails.  Tracy Morgan, while sometimes a little goofy, is also very funny.  This show is fast, smart, and relevant.  One reviewer on Netflix says of 30 Rock, "there is a certain segment of population that likes what I like to call "New York Humor" It will tickle your fancy if you like things like Woody Allen, Seinfeld, and the like."  Funny story: When my parents were first dating, my dad's family used to call my mother (who is from Philadelphia) a "New Yorker" because they thought "Jew" was a slur.  If you don't understand why that's hilarious, you might not like 30 Rock.  The show is reliably funny...even the weaker episodes are still great.    A+ for Season 1, A for other seasons (with an occasional B episode)


Also interesting, this documentary about Saturday Night Live: Live from New York: The First 5 Years. This IS NOT a clips show, it's mostly interviews.

Law & Order: SVU



Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

So, you may not have realized this, but there are 11 seasons of Law & Order SVU on Netflix Instant.  That's more than 150 hours of Law & Order goodness!  Personally, I've been watching Law & Order on TV since it started, so I've already seen most of these, but, looking through the episode titles, there's some in every season I missed or didn't remember.  SVU is my favorite Law & Order, mostly because of the chemistry between all the actors.  I really believe that the SVU squad is a kind of a family.  I really like the way that the episodes each stand completely on their own, but they still reward loyal viewing with subtle character growth and development.  The acting is nearly always good, especially after season 2 or 3, when they all seem to have really settled into inhabiting their characters.  Particularly in early seasons, it's fun to spot stars before they were stars in guest roles as both perps and victims.  B+ for the show overall, episodes vary from B- to A+.

Oh My Joss!

Basically, I love everything Joss Whedon has ever done, and you do too. Now, if you're not a Joss fan yet (and what's wrong with you?!?), you have to realize that ALL Joss Whedon's shows sound stupid when described, but they're not.  Joss's writing is amazing because of the character interactions, not so much the plot.  (Although Firefly and Dollhouse both have really cool settings also).  They're all available on instantly, but they're worth trying on DVD as well.  The ones I've seen have great special features.  http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay?personid=20037948

Buffy the Vampire Slayer:  This is a show about adolescence. (reviewed before): A+ if you're a teenage girl.  B otherwise.
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer-Season-1/60030359?trkid=1660


Angel:  Angel is a more grown-up version of Buffy.  It's very good, and it gets better as the show moves on.  The show claims to be about redemption, but it's really more about finding your chosen family.  B+
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Angel-Season-1/60030597?trkid=1660

Firefly: This might be the best television show that has ever been.  It's epic, even though it's only 14 episodes.  Every character is awesome, amazing, and a complete, complicated, weird, unique human being.  The costumes and set design are astounding.  Whenever I watch other sci-fi (including great sci-fi like Battlestar) that's been made since, I can see the Firefly influence.  If you've never seen it, watch this INSTANTLY!  I don't mean that you should stream it; I mean, whatever you're doing right now, stop and go watch Firefly.  A++
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Dollhouse-Season-1/70108140?trkid=1660 Buy the dvd from amazon: Firefly - The Complete Series


Serenity: I expected this movie to be mediocre, but it's a great ending to Firefly.  It doesn't make up for all the seasons that never were, but it ties things up well, while staying true to the characters, themes, and aesthetic of Firefly.  It would be much better to watch the show before the movie.  I give it a solid A.  This movie has GREAT special features, it's totally worth it buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray. Serenity [Blu-ray]

http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Serenity/70035994?trkid=1660#height1538

Dollhouse: This is a show about identity, and the quest for self.  It's also a show about big evil corporations bringing about the apocalypse.  Also, it has the most awesome mad scientist character ever, his name is Topher.  Season One is much, much stronger than season 2.  In season 2, I think Joss knew the show was getting canceled and tried to cram 5 seasons worth of plot into one season.  Things move very fast, with insufficient exposition.  The characters grow and change in this sort of weird punctuated way.  All that being said, season 2 is still awesome, and the final episode is one of the best TV endings ever.  Season 1: A+, Season 2: A-
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Dollhouse-Season-1/70108140?trkid=1660

Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog:  I don't really know how to describe this except that it's goofy, musical, comic book fun.  Goofy, musical, comic-book fun written by Joss Whedon. It gets a B from me. (and I hate goofy, musical comic-book fun)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Dr.-Horrible-s-Sing-Along-Blog/70115760?trkid=1660

Other Post Apocalypse Recommends

Here's some other post apocalypse shows I've loved in the past:

Without a doubt, Battlestar Galactica is the single best post-apocalypse show ever.   One of the very best shows ever on TV (with the exception of the last few episodes).  If you have ever seen the old version, please don't let you turn you off of this.  The show is a sexy, gritty, exciting, emotional ride from start to finish (well, almost to finish).

I usually don't like space-opera, and I took some convincing before I tried this show.  Please don't let that happen to you.  I'm not playing around, this show is AMAZING.  I've been re-watching this show. and  I had forgotten just how fraking awesome it is.  In some ways, it's even better the second time around.  Seasons 1 and 2 are much better than 3 and 4, but it's all great. A+ for season 1, A for seasons 2-4. D for the final episode.

Jeremiah: This TV show opens about 10 years after a plague wiped out all the adults in the world. The two main characters, played by that guy from 90210 and that guy from the Cosby show (who got really hot!) travel around the post-apocalypse world doing good and searching for Valhalla.  The show has high production values, and is especially interesting in the first season.

While not all the episodes are written by him, the show was developed by Michael J. Straczynski (the Babylon 5 guy).

I hear it's based on a graphic novel, which I always intend to read, but haven't yet.  B







Jericho: This show takes place after a nuclear strike, in a small midwestern town.  The first season I like, but after that it gets bogged down in complicated meta plot.  B for the first season, C+ after that.
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Jericho_Season_1/70058426?trkid=2361637

Survivors

Because of all the snow, I've had a lot of time off work lately, with not much to do.  Thus, the spate of post-apocalypse TV marathons in my living room.  Here's what I've watched lately:


Some of you might not know this, but I'm obsessed with thinking about how to survive/rebuild after an apocalypse. Seriosly, I'm one step away from hoarding antibiotics and beef jerky. I mean, I do hoard beef jerky, but I only have, like, 2 courses of antibiotics squirreled away. I in no way have a closet full of veterinary grade antibiotic powder. That would be crazy. :)

Due to this, I'm a huge fan of post-apocalypse fiction, both the sad, gritty kind (The Road) and the goofy kind (Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome). I just love the idea of people rebuilding civilization using nothing but their wits. I'm always on the lookout for new post-apocalypse movies and TV.


Survivors is a British TV show about the (few) survivors of a global flu pandemic.  The first season covers the usual post-apocalypse sorts of things....a group of strangers band together to make a place for themselves in the new world.  Each of the characters has an interesting back story, and, although sort of archetypal, they're all believable people with believable motivations.  (Mostly).  I did spend a non-trivial amount of time during the first few seasons yelling at them to be less traumatized and go raid a camping store, but that pretty much happens with all post-apocalyptic fiction and me.

Even though I imagine the show had quite a small budget (it's BBC, afterall), it doesn't have any of the cheesy low production values that you sometimes see on British shows.  It seems to be shot on location in the English countryside, and in London, and there are very few special effects.  The pacing is good, and the show is overall enjoyable. I personally, like the first season better.  In the second season, it starts to get all "big plot" with an evil conspiracy behind the plague.   I always like that less than small, tight stories about individual people surviving.  B+