Far more gruesome than Game of Thrones, and with even more explicit set, Spartacus burst onto screens in 2010, demanding to be noticed and taking more than a little inspiration from the hyper-real violence of 300. But it’s so much more than the slow-motion beheadings and all the boobs. Behind these superficial pleasures is an incredibly intelligent script, a wonderful cast, and a story that can still shock even though it’s so well known. With the whole thing now available on Sky+, maybe it’s about time you gave Spartacus a shot.
by Hayley Charlesworth
Far more gruesome than Game of Thrones, and with even more explicit set, Spartacus burst onto screens in 2010, demanding to be noticed and taking more than a little inspiration from the hyper-real violence of 300. But it’s so much more than the slow-motion beheadings and all the boobs. Behind these superficial pleasures is an incredibly intelligent script, a wonderful cast, and a story that can still shock even though it’s so well known. With the whole thing now available on Sky+, maybe it’s about time you gave Spartacus a shot. by Hayley Charlesworth In the explosive finale of this debut season, questions are answered while others are raised, lives are left in jeopardy, and the show looks to be taking an entirely new direction for season two. In what is a sterling end to a superb season, we finally see the face-off with the Grounders, the Ark’s mission to return to Earth, and the true moral worth of our characters. by Hayley Charlesworth With just one week to go until the season finale, the stakes are higher than ever before on The 100, a show that has unexpectedly been one of the most consistently gripping, action-packed and well-plotted debuts of the year. Last week, we left off with Finn the prisoner of the Grounders, Clarke trapped, and the revelation that there are still survivors on the Ark. But with the Ark only having a few days of survival left, and Clarke and Finn at the mercy of the Grounders, this is a nailbiter of a penultimate episode. by Hayley Charlesworth As we approach the season one finale of The 100, the war between the teens and the Grounders comes to a head, with questions of trust, loyalty and the greater good coming to the fore. With the fate of The Ark left as a lingering question, an unexpected return and a devastating sickness continue to move this story along at a thrilling pace. by Hayley Charlesworth Given last week’s poor offering, the lead in to the season four finale was at miniscule excitement levels. To cover up for an underdeveloped storyline, Teen Wolf sets the pace of action impossibly high to make for an enjoyable watch, culminating in a piece of character development that’s been a long time coming, and is the most satisfactory twist in the show for a long time. by Hayley Charlesworth With the Benefactor storyline being almost completely resolved in last week’s episode, Monstrous, the danger was that for the final two episodes of season four, the show would lose momentum as attention returned to the underdeveloped storylines of Kate and Peter’s plan, and just what was happening to Derek. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened. The singular focus of The Benefactor had been season four’s strength, while these storylines have been neglected to the point of being an afterthought. As a result, A Promise to the Dead is perhaps amongst the dullest episodes in Teen Wolf’s history. by Hayley Charlesworth At this point in the debut season of a show, it’s make or break time. As the momentum of the early episodes wears out, a show has to step up its game or fade into obscurity. Luckily, The 100 takes the former path with a game-changing episode, as new alliances are formed, and new threats revealed. by Hayley Charlesworth Perishable is revealed in the first of this double bill of Teen Wolf episodes, with the fallout taking place in the second before an even greater threat is revealed. But with a solid A-story running throughout season four coming to its climax so soon, Teen Wolf’s long standing shortcomings in terms of pacing come to a head yet again. Yes, it’s unfortunate to say that one of Teen Wolf’s best plots so far has fallen down by being so rushed. by Hayley Charlesworth Christopher Eccleston is my Doctor. Sure, I grew up watching re-runs of all eight Doctors before him, having previously identified Patrick Troughton as my favourite, but Eccleston was the first Doctor for my era. He was a Doctor from Manchester, so he shared my accent. And he was, to use his favourite word, fantastic. Often overlooked due to the immense popularity of David Tennant and Matt Smith, due to his short tenure and less than amicable exit, he was nevertheless remarkable. Along with Russell T Davies and Billie Piper, Christopher Eccleston was responsible for bringing back an old science-fiction show that in many people’s eyes had become a joke, and not only having people watch it, but made it once again the BBC’s biggest show ever. It was a risk to bring back Doctor Who, and in lesser hands, it may have failed, but Christopher Eccleston is too immense a talent to let that happen. by Hayley Charlesworth Fresh from two BAFTA wins earlier this year; BBC Three’s zombie drama In the Flesh has recently concluded its second series. But with the future of BBC Three still up in the air, what’s next for this fantastic show itself is still a bit of a mystery. Hayley Charlesworth chatted to show creator and head writer Dominic Mitchell about what’s next for Kieren Walker and co, the issues the show tackles, and getting your first commission as a writer. |
TV Editor: Graham Osborne
TVReviews on the best TV has to offer, as well as retrospective looks at the shows of yesteryear we miss so much. Email: [email protected]
Categories
All
Archives
July 2015
|