The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
| American Idol losing viewership Posted: 01 May 2013 06:30 AM PDT American Idol is losing steam ... and viewership big time. IN THE past few weeks we've seen quite a number of new and returning shows making their way into our television schedules. From critically-acclaimed dramas to big-budget programmes to highly-popular comedies, they're all there for the ... viewing. However, last week's shocking industry news – about how the season finale of Duck Dynasty (History) garnered higher ratings than American Idol (Star World and 8TV) in the United States – is proof that reality-based talent shows have become stale and irrelevant. Few people want to watch Ryan Seacrest, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson make a few kids' popstar dreams come true these days. We'd rather watch a documentary series about a "swamp family" that made its millions from selling duck hunting products. The news also tells us that American Idol is not American Idol without Simon Cowell and that Nicki Minaj should just stick to making "music". Not to worry, though, as the show will be over soon enough – there are only four contestants left now. Meanwhile, if you're into sitcoms, you might want to keep your Thursday nights free as Fox and Diva Universal have gone all out with their Thursday night comedy slot. On Fox, there's the new show The Neighbors (about a family living in a gated community inhabited by a group of peace-loving aliens), followed by Modern Family S4 (update: Gloria is pregnant, Haley is in college, Phil's Phil's-osophies is a book everyone needs to read) and a double episode of Community S4. These sitcoms are also sandwiched between Fox's animated comedies – Family Guy, American Dad!, The Cleveland Show and The Simpsons – as well as the ever-popular series Bones and Castle. On Diva Universal's Thursday comedy line-up are Hot In Cleveland (the fourth season ended last week and will be replaced by the all-new Guys With Kids tomorrow), Go On, The Mindy Project and Up All Night. Guys With Kids stars Anthony Anderson, Tempest Bledsoe – whom many of us know as Vanessa Huxtable of The Cosby Show – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Zach Cregger, Jesse Bradford and Erinn Hayes, as two couples and one divorced couple who do their best in bringing up their kids. It's not the most intriguing of storylines, but the sitcom was created by comedian Jimmy Fallon so it might still be an interesting watch. Comedies aside, some new and returning drama series that have gotten much publicity, good or bad, include the glamorous soap opera Revenge (Star World and 8TV, although the latter station is currently airing the first season), Supernatural (beTV), Smash (Diva Universal), Cesar Millan's Leader Of The Pack (National Geographic Channel), Game Of Thrones (HBO), Castle (Fox), Defiance (Syfy HD) and Chicago Fire (Universal Channel HD). And of course, there's Hannibal (AXN). Hannibal is a prequel of sorts to the story of how the cannibalistic Dr Hannibal Lecter came to be. Playing the titular character is Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, with British hottie Hugh Dancy as a criminal profiler with a very special gift and skill for hunting down serial killers. The pace of the show may not be as quick and eager as many other series, but then again, Hannibal isn't your typical investigative drama. Instead, it is a "thinking drama", one that doesn't always let you figure out what's going to happen in the next few frames. As an added feature to the show, AXN also released its second-screen app for Hannibal, which is downloadable on your tablet or smartphone. While you're watching the show, the app "listens" to it and syncs your tablet/smartphone, giving you extra information about a character, place, or case that's highlighted in that particular episode. According to Sony Pictures Television Networks (which owns AXN), this is the first time that the technology is introduced in Asia. Another programme that uses technology to make it stand out among millions of other shows is the science fiction Defiance. The new series was created as an accompaniment to a multiplayer videogame of the same name. The show's storyline is affected by whatever major change is made in the game, and vice versa. For example, if enough players kill off a main character in the game, he or she will no longer appear in the show. I wish American Idol was also made this way. I know which "character" I'd like to kill off first. Tweet us (@MyStarTwo) which new or returning programmes are your favourites, and which characters from whatever show you'd like to kill off if you had the chance. |
| Game Of Thrones retains its winning formula Posted: 01 May 2013 06:29 AM PDT Season Three of Game Of Thrones retains the formula that won it such great critical acclaim. HERE'S what anyone who has been visiting Westeros for the last two seasons knows: in the Game Of Thrones (GOT), the point isn't just to win, but to do whatever it takes to remain on the winning side. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the opening episode of the epic series' third season, Valar Dohaeris, which sees various characters struggling with what they are willing to do to remain on their chosen side (or the one in which they ended up). It is a theme that continues into the second episode, Dark Wings, Dark Words, and so far, has made for a gripping continuation of a series that has enthralled us with its twists and turns. Visually, the show – based on George R. R. Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire series of books – has never looked better, with gorgeously dreary outdoor shots contrasting with the medieval sets of the various kingdoms, and the show capitalises on this with the kind of brilliant cinematography and editing that wouldn't be out of place in a big-screen epic. With just 10 episodes per season, one of GOT's strengths is its ability to pack so much into a few short scenes. We're just two episodes in, and there is much to take in, especially with most of our lead characters being spread out all across Westeros with missions of their own that fit in to the sprawling storyline. In King's Landing, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), despite orchestrating their victory at the Battle of Blackwater last season, finds himself relegated to the sidelines now that his father Tywin (Charles Dance) has taken over his previous position as the King's Hand. Dinklage is phenomenal as always, but he shines the most in scenes where he has an equally strong performer to play off, and there have been some unforgettable exchanges with Tywin and Tyrion's sister Cersei, so far. Meanwhile, Queen Cersei (Lena Headey) has her own problems, in the form of her son Joffrey's betrothed Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). Cersei senses that there is more to Margaery than just a pretty face, and resents the increasing influence she wields over Joffrey, and by extension, the Iron Throne. In a story where the biggest battles are often fought without any weapons, this struggle between the two headstrong women seems to hold a lot of potential. Hopefully, this will also mean that we see more of Headey, whose strong presence in the first season was diminished somewhat in the second. Which brings us to the third Lannister sibling, Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who is being transported to King's Landing by Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) on Catelyn Stark's orders. While we haven't seen much of this odd pairing yet, their verbal and physical sparring has been a real pleasure to watch, and Jaime is fast becoming a much more likeable character than any incestuous, murderous traitor has a right to be. Speaking of strong women, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), the last living heir of the royal Targaryen family, hasn't been twiddling her thumbs either. With her dragons growing fast, she is in the midst of amassing an army, and while we haven't seen much of her plans yet, it looks like they are certainly going to be (pardon the pun) fiery. The Starks are still struggling to find each other while also dealing with their own demons. Robb (Richard Madden), who is still King-in-the-North, hasn't forgiven Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) for letting Jaime go, and continues his quest to defeat the Lannisters. Arya (Maisie Williams) has found herself in the company of a band of men whose intentions she still isn't clear about, while Sansa (Sophie Turner) is trapped at King's Landing not knowing who she can trust. Over in the North, Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) is learning more about his dreams, and coming to realise that despite being a cripple, he may have powers that very few others do. Besides the main characters, GOT excels with its secondary roles, and among these, folks like Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) and Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) continue to fascinate. The show has so far added three much-anticipated characters from the books: Mance Rayder (Ciaran Hinds), Jojen Reed (Thomas Brodie Sangster) and Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg). Of the three, Rigg has managed to impress as the smart and sharp matriarch of the Tyrell family who may be able to play the game better than the men around her. Much like in the second season, our huge cast of characters is spread across the length and breadth of the land, and each episode flits between what is happening with each of them. This structure is fast becoming GOT's strength and weakness; when the show is focusing on some of its strongest characters (for me, this includes Tyrion, the Jaime and Brienne pairing, and Daenerys), they give us just enough meat to tantalise us before moving away to something else. However, the same structure sometimes makes the less interesting character arcs (Jon Snow, and some of Arya's journey) feel a tad unsubstantial. At the start of every new season of GOT, I wonder the same thing: how are they going to resolve the many tangled threads introduced in the previous one? This new season is no exception, and if anything, the sheer complexity of the many plotlines is starting to feel a little overwhelming. And yet, with storylines this intelligent and characters so addictively layered, it is difficult to fault the showrunners for wanting to keep to the source material as much as possible, and not compromise on the details. And if this season is any indication, GOT isn't going to give up its winning formula anytime soon. Game Of Thrones airs every Saturday at 9pm on HBO (Astro Ch 411) and HBO HD (Astro Ch 431). Reader response can be directed to entertainment@thestar.com.my. |
| Posted: 01 May 2013 03:11 AM PDT Actor Gabriel Mann has no problems with people calling Revenge a campy, over-the-top soap opera. NO DRAMA which centres itself around the theme of revenge can be worse than Hollywood, or so says American actor Gabriel Mann. Referring to his current drama Revenge, the bachelor says with a hearty laugh: "Hollywood is much more vicious. It's a perfect show as a metaphor for Hollywood because everyone out here is always watching their back. If they have to climb over someone to get to where they want to be, sometimes they do." That says a lot, coming from someone who has been in show business since 1995. The 1.87m-tall and lanky star plays bisexual technology guru Nolan Ross and aide to Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp), daughter of his late benefactor and friend. He helps her exact revenge on the upper crust who caused her father to be falsely imprisoned for life. When Mann first received the role, he says "the only outline for it was that he was a tech guru like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs". He left his fate in creator Mike Kelly's hands. "I said to Mike very early in the game that 'I trust you completely, so anywhere you'd like to go with this character, I'm happy to go there with you'. "He said, 'Are you sure about that?' and before you know it, Nolan was making out with Tyler Barrol (actor Ashton Holmes, in season one)." The chatty actor, who answers questions freely and easily, does not mind that Revenge is a melodrama on the verge of being campy. With pride in his voice, the 40-year-old says: "I believe the show is always over the top from the very first episode. It's definitely a challenge to keep figuring out where you take it. Very thankfully, I'm not one of the writers for the show because I would imagine it is a very difficult task." Helen Hunt recently directed an episode of Revenge. How is it different working under the direction of someone with acting experience as compared to other directors? Sometimes on television, the impulse is that you have to move very quickly because you have to shoot so much so fast. A lot of the time you have directors who are trying to make sure that the shot looks perfect but you don't always get that much direction for the acting. Helen's eyes were very closely set on our performance. She took it to another level, and had us be very thoughtful about things that sometimes get overlooked in a performance. It made us want to push our characters even further. With soaps like Revenge, you never know who is going to get bumped off next. Do you ever worry about being on shows like these? Always, every script. I always wonder, maybe this is the episode where they find Nolan in the dumpster or he gets kidnapped ... who knows on this show. When you sign on for a series like this, you know that's part of what makes the series interesting. I always have so much respect and trust for the creator of the show that if, for some reason, Nolan is going to die, I would be sad but I'm happy to sacrifice myself for the bigger picture. How big of a soap opera addict are you? I'm a big fan of Scandal, which is, in some ways, another high-brow soap opera, and Downton Abbey. I love Homeland, I love Girls. I'm also a big fan of Parks And Recreation, which is not a soap opera but is very entertaining and funny. I also love Nashville, which is maybe another kind of soap opera. So as you can see, I'm a big fan of the genre. How exactly would you take revenge, if you were in Emily's place? I'm not a big believer in forcing that issue, I believe the universe always ends up taking care of it. The longer you're in the business, you learn how to handle yourself and protect yourself. When I was first starting in Hollywood, I had a few experiences where people were trying to do something terrible to me because I believe maybe they felt I was competition to them. But you have to let these things go. And it's more of a reflection on them than it really is of you, it's really par for the course. How would you like to be remembered? As an actor who is very collaborative with my fellow actors, as someone who is very committed to my work and very professional, but also that I have a lot of support and love for the craft and people that I work with, and I'm there to support them to do their best work. I think that's how I'd like to be remembered. And maybe as someone with a good sense of style, I hope. – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network Revenge Season Two airs every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6pm on Star World (Astro Ch 711) and Star World HD (Astro Ch 722). |
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