The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
- Jennifer Garner gets a strip club drama
- 'Elementary' is run of the mill
- <i>Mad Men</i>'s last season to air in two parts
| Jennifer Garner gets a strip club drama Posted: Mrs Affleck is the executive producer of a new hour-long television show. Jennifer Garner and Fox are hitting the strip clubs together. Fox has given a pilot order to the drama The Whole Shebang, which Garner is executive producing along with Jason Micallef (Butter), who wrote the pilot. The project has been given a put-pilot commitment by the network. The one-hour drama revolves around a newly single soccer mum who inherits a rundown male strip club and unexpectedly finds herself at the centre of a dysfunctional, makeshift family that helps her take charge of her life. Garner's Vandalia Films is producing the project in association with Warner Bros Television, with whom Garner has an overall deal. — Reuters |
| 'Elementary' is run of the mill Posted: Another version of Sherlock Holmes comes on the air. But even with talented actors and bold changes, why can't Elementary hold our attention? We go sleuthing for answers. No one likes a know-it-all ... well, unless that know-it-all is Sherlock Holmes. It stands to reason why this fictional character, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, is ever popular. It's almost like a magic trick how he uses his honed observation ability to arrive at a clever deduction. Out of Doyle's books, in recent times, the character has appeared in the form of Robert Downey Jr in the Guy Ritchie-directed films and Benedict Cumberbatch in the top-rated BBC series, Sherlock. Even Hugh Laurie's Dr Gregory House in House MD bears a lot of resemblance to Holmes, although – obviously – House solves cases pertaining to medical mysteries instead of crime. So, the latest Sherlock Holmes played by Jonny Lee Miller in the series Elementary, comes to this game somewhat late. To set him apart from the other Holmes, Elementary incorporated a few changes. Though still British, Miller's Holmes resides in New York, and – here's the most drastic difference – his trusty sidekick Watson is now a woman (portrayed by Lucy Liu). Dr Joan Watson is introduced to Holmes as his sober companion. Watson is hired by Holmes' father to keep an eye on the eccentric man to make sure he doesn't go back to being a drug addict, which had landed him in a rehabilitation centre. (It is a clever nod to the book since drugs is one of Holmes' vices. There is even a clever reference to Holmes' musical instrument of choice in Elementary.) In the series, Holmes is employed by the New York Police Department as a consultant on homicide cases. This conveniently lets Holmes assume the role of a brilliant detective and, by extension, Watson is present at the crime scenes as well. As Watson previously worked as a surgeon before changing profession, she assists Holmes when it comes to medical aspect of a the crime.  Jonny Lee Miller is Sherlock Holmes in Elementary. The gender switch is indeed a brave move, and why not? The camaraderie established in the books should reflect the modern times, and since women and men stand on equal grounds these days, it makes sense. Liu's Watson is both book smart and streetwise, and Elementary is all the better thanks to the banter and arguments between Holmes and Watson (as they should be). As the series progresses, Watson becomes less an outsider and more a necessary presence in Holmes' life and work. The push-pull dynamic between the two is interesting to watch as she is both appalled and in awe at some of the things Holmes says and does. One thing that hasn't changed about the Watson character is that Joan Watson is just as broken emotionally, but sans the limp. Thankfully, the producers of Elementary have already established that Holmes and Watson will not be romantically involved. That would just be sacrilegious despite the (sexual) tension that does exist between the two in Elementary. Although these are interesting amendments and Miller is absolutely brilliant in his portrayal of Holmes – as crisp as the February air and brimming with energy like New York City – the series is nothing more than a procedural, just cleverly disguised to be something else. Holmes' unconventional sleuthing work is just not enough to keep viewers interested, especially when the cases are no different from the many cop shows available on TV now. Midway through the series, the writers try to engage the viewers by introducing two important characters – Holmes' arch nemesis, and the only woman he has ever loved. But these tactics only last momentarily, and once again, the series fall back onto the routine procedural. Seriously though, with talented actors, a rich original source and the bold changes, Elementary could and should be better. Hopefully, the show will buck up in the second season because Sherlock Holmes is definitely more than just this. Elementary airs every Wednesday at 9pm on RTL CBS Entertainment HD (HyppTV Ch 616). |
| <i>Mad Men</i>'s last season to air in two parts Posted: Fans shouldn't worry so much, though, as these episodes will only air in 2014 and 2015. Don Draper is going to take his time saying goodbye: Mad Men is splitting its final season into two seven-episode instalments airing in 2014 and 2015. The AMC show is going out the same way as Breaking Bad, which split its final season between last year and this one, the network said. The move means AMC will get to keep its first big show on the air a little longer as it looks for replacements for Breaking Bad and Mad Men. On Monday it announced it was creating a spinoff of The Walking Dead, to go with a previously announced Breaking Bad spinoff. The split may also increase AMC's long-term Emmy haul. If Mad Men had ended its run next year, it's final season would have had to go up against the final episodes of Breaking Bad. This change means Emmy voters won't have to choose between the final episodes of two of television's most-praised shows, since Mad Men will be eligible again in 2015. The first seven episodes will air in spring 2014 under the banner The Beginning. The final seven – The End Of An Era – will air in spring 2015. "This approach has worked well for many programmes across multiple networks and, most recently for us with Breaking Bad, which attracted nearly double the number of viewers to its second half premiere than had watched any previous episode," said Charlie Collier, AMC president. "We are determined to bring Mad Men a similar showcase. In an era where high-end content is savored and analysed, and catch-up time is used well to drive back to live events, we believe this is the best way to release the now 14 episodes than remain of this iconic series." Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner said, "We plan to take advantage of this chance to have a more elaborate story told in two parts, which can resonate a little bit longer in the minds of our audience. "The writers, cast and other artists welcome this unique manner of ending this unique experience." — Reuters |
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