Reviews

This series starts off well, charming characters, quirky family, real life family problems with adoption etc. However, it quickly becomes repetitive with the characters seeming to go nowhere and the story line stagnates. Most distracting are the lead actor's upper teeth which appear to be a badly made set of dentures with huge gums that appear to be very protuberant. One cannot help but notice them every time he opens his mouth or smiles. Hopefully, he can get them made to be more aesthetically pleasing.

The chemistry between all the cast is good but the episodes seem to lack the sharp witted, heavy on sarcasm, British type humor. Maybe it's been watered down for the US market in the fear that it would be misinterpreted or just not understood. It's an average series that could have been better.

The invasion and occupation of the Channel islands was a difficult time in the history of WW2. This fictional and rather fanciful soap opera really does not do it justice if one is looking for any authenticity. The "Germans" all speak beautiful English, sometimes heavily accented, other times not. It's like the actors forget who they're supposed to be. A young Laurence Fox just can't quite shake off his posh accent! The message is like that of a wartime English propaganda film, intended to bolster morale. The characters are all stereotypical. Unfortunately, the writing is quite appalling, and despite the efforts of a stellar cast of the day, the series just never gets off the ground. It only went for 1 Season and ended rather abruptly!

This series is bad, really, really bad! I gave it 3 episodes then gave up. The cast is like a SNL graveyard, with washed up actors dredged up from the past and trying to appear funny again. The series storyline just makes no sense, and coupled with a childish script, there can be no redeeming feature for this show. It's a perfect example of just how desperate streaming platforms are for content, that they appear to stream anything with people who can move and speak!

Maya Rudolph was funny on SNL because the other cast members she played off of, made her brand of humor come through and hid her desperately poor acting skills. This series, in which she has center stage, allows her poor acting skills to come through. It's just bad.....really, really bad!

The idea behind the film is good, but it is such a poor production that the idea never really surfaces as a story. The director tries too hard to make it into an artistic production, the story gets totally buried in all the images of flowers and overly long periods of silence and blank screen time. There seems to be no script, no context as to who the supporting characters are, but all just appear as actors improvising as they go along. It ultimately becomes a pointless and very boring experience to watch. Viewers understand the concept portrayed in the film, that is, the idea of a normal existence side by side with the horrors of Auschwitz's purpose. However, this could have been executed much better with a good script and a more structured format! The audio track is also very inaudible!

Like all of these reality series that deal with this theme, this one highlights the outstanding job done by CBP agents in their daily war, protecting national borders. However, the episodes tend to become repetitive after a while, even using the same dialogue over and over. For viewers, the repetitive nature of the episodes do not do much to keep people engaged and interested. Understandably, this work is of the utmost importance to any country, but it does not make for riveting viewing after the first 10-15 episodes. It is therefore surprising that it has been given repeat seasons, despite the repetitive format.

This is yet another of the new type of Mexican series. It tries to be clever like House of Flowers but fails dismally! The script is silly and filled with predictable characters, and the events impossible to believe. Some of the scenes are just so silly, one cannot imagine it possible that the writers thought they could get away with them e.g the scene with the main character hanging from a balcony in full view of a crowd, but no one does anything. The acting is forced, the audio track barely audible, and even if viewers just went with the flow and tried to imagine it as a comedy, ignoring all the illogical and implausible twists and turns, the silliness of the plot makes that impossible to do so. The premise is that of a very watered down Indiana Jones, but the script never achieves that level of humor.....or even parody. It's just plain silly and not worth the time to watch.

This is an above average series from Poland. It describes the situation before WW2, and deals with the struggle between a number of factions fighting for control of the city. It has multiple timelines and multiple tracks, but the narrative switches between them all in a chaotic manner. This results in the story being told in a very confused manner and makes it difficult for non-Polish viewers to maintain any sort of continuity with the story. Obviously, it helps if the viewer has some knowledge of the history of that era in Poland. A few of the scenes appear to be randomly stuck in among others, which also does not help provide a linear way to narrate a story. The series is quite good, but the way the story is told leaves much to be desired!

This is supposedly a psychological drama based on the theme of domestic abuse. There is nothing new as it deals with the usual type of character defect in a woman who is besotted with an abuser, but keeps going back for more. There are the usual cycles of leaving and going back, supposedly because love can change the situation etc. After a while, it all becomes tedious and without any real story of substance. It's a story that's been told many times over. This series offers nothing new as insight into the cycle of abuse. It's a pointless series that is perfectly suited for the streaming platform, Walter Presents, a platform that is a literal graveyard for all failed European TV series!

This French series starts off with a sequence of apparently unconnected and disconnected scenes from which viewers are intended to make sense. There are the usual long periods of actors staring through windows, at one another and various objects . Nothing makes sense, including a scene where the mother slaps some guy in a hospital room. Little in the way of context is provided to provide background. The scenes are dark and dreary, and there is the usual histrionic behavior with a lot of shouting that passes for acting in French cinema! Walter Presents is the usual platform for failed European series. This series is no exception to that rule!

This is the usual gay love story between a Turk from a traditional family in which homosexuality is "haraam"and a Swiss national who is out and cannot understand why the whole traditional background stuff is such a big deal in Switzerland. This conflict as a theme has been done to death, especially the forced arranged marriage to a cousin so that the villagers at home won't have to know about the "shame" . What makes the movie difficult to understand is the lack of continuity in the storytelling. There appears to be gaps in the timeline that just aren't explained by use of dialog, and so the viewer has to work really hard to understand that certain periods of time have passed between the scenes. That's the only way the narrative makes sense. It has a nice happy ending so there are no loose ends.

This is a Flemish movie that deals with the usual Nazi atrocities committed in Belgium and elsewhere against Jews. Two young Flemish policemen are caught up in the torture and have to find a way to extricate themselves. The movie is very boring with minimal dialog, and the usual staring and periods of silence that is common to Flemish movies. The constant filming in low-light, dim rooms does little to help hold interest. Ultimately, with the story told in a very confusing manner, a timeline that seems to jump all over the place and choppy editing, it was easier to just stop watching than go all the way to the end and waste time.

This series takes viewers on a lightning fast trip through German history immediately post WW1. It singles out particular incidents to dramatize and therefore has little depth. The script is poorly written and the producers probably thought that using lavish sets and costumes to increase visual appeal, would prevent viewers from seeing that the series lacks substance. The acting is below average and the choppy editing where scenes seem randomly stitched together, offers little help to the viewer to have any story continuity. Little in the way of context is provided, other than repetitive use of a single flashback. This becomes tiresome as it is overused. Sadly, the series does not improve as it progresses but just gets more mechanical, like a hybrid between a poorly done documentary and a really bad "made for TV series."

This Belgian series is interesting in that it uses a well-worn theme of WW1, but tells it from a Belgian perspective. Unfortunately, like many Belgian series, the story is told in a confused manner with the scenes appearing like vignettes that have been randomly stitched together. This destroys the chance for the viewer to have any story continuity. As has been pointed out by another reviewer, the story seems to be agenda driven, and each agenda item then assigned to a character. There is little character development and at times, the script and dialog is very childish. Unlike so many other European series that sets the story in a particular non-English speaking country, then has everyone speaking English while surrounded by signs written in the language of the country, this series uses the many languages of the region, and emphasizes the attention paid to authenticity. The language switching abilities of the actors is just amazing to see and hear. While the acting itself and the makeup techniques used are really not that great, the series remains engaging and watchable.

This Scottish TV series from 30 years ago remains entertaining and interesting. It would have been better had the writing not been so haphazard and disorganized, and the editing followed a more linear and logical pattern. Some of the scenes seem to be randomly placed and not connected to either the one before or after it. In some episodes, the casting is just silly when children and parents appear to be almost the same age. As others have pointed out, stories are not completed or some they are just dropped without a satisfying conclusion. There is therefore no conclusion to many of the storylines. It's a watchable series, but could have been a whole lot better!

The John Wick movies are pure fantasy that is geared towards entertainment. It's a like a non-stop video game on X-Box where the hero never dies, but works his way steadily through a sea of assassins by using a set of well choreographed movements and a lot of background grunting. Blood is everywhere, bursting out of heads, eyes, torsos etc. The storyline is non-existent, there are no academy award winning performances, the dialog is minimal and primal and very little sex since the hero is too busy trying to stay alive. Overall, if one applied logic and analysis, the films would be rubbish, but if one just wants to experience mindless violence and be entertained in a gruesome manner, the films will all work for you. Watch it for what it is, pure fantasy, not for what you would like it to be!

This series is very reminiscent of "Community". It shares a common theme of a group of quirky characters all focused on a common goal. Livingston is a good match for his character. Will Sasso is like his character from MadTv. Most of the supporting cast members act at a very amateur level. Although supposedly set in Seattle, it's a Canadian production filmed in Vancouver and one can hear the strong Canadian accents and pronunciation come through quite often. The story line is variable but the best season is Season 1. The show starts a steady decline after that. The writers seem to have run out of ideas and the dialog, gags, and situations become repetitive. As the seasons progress, the level of "woke" increases and the humor becomes more Canadian, which often does not translate across cultures. The third and final season is a waste of time and must have been the reason for the demise of the show! It's watchable, but not outstanding!

This is a low budget series from Norway. It must have been produced before Nordic Noir became popular. The episodes are not well done in that the scripts make no sense, the dialog is silly and appears improvised! The audio quality is terrible and choppy editing just compounds the lack of story continuity. Trying to watch it is impossible as it just makes no sense at all. This must be a production mainly targeted at a Scandinavian audience as it has little in the way of global appeal. The storyline is a very confusing one for each episode. I gave up after the second episode as it's really a waste of time. The characters all look like they could benefit from a good wash!

This is a movie with a slow burning fuse that leads to a very fizzled out explosion. It makes the viewer wonder why they sat through the confusing narrative. The acting is adequate but the time gaps in the storyline create constantly creates confusion as to what is happening, and why did events occur in the way they do. There are instances where some scenes have no connection to either the scene before or the one after. It's clear that there must have been a lot of " write as you go", because what results is a feeling of improvisation and very improbable circumstances that just simply make no sense. The ending is a huge let down and contributes nothing to the viewer's understanding of the story. It's reminiscent of the ending of the French film " Bonjour Tristesse", bizarre and arty!

Been watching this since series 1. It is set in a typical, but mythical English village, populated mainly by a changing group of elderly individuals, who are also focused on murdering one another. It started off as the usual British "Whodunnit" and has morphed into soap opera entertainment where police procedure takes second place. The series was set in 1950s Britain, and after a few years succumbed to pressure to appear more "similar" to the "New Britain", whether this was relevant to the time and era. Even later series have taken this to heart and there is now massive recasting of the characters to represent almost every known ethnic group in the cast/story. The casting agents must use a spreadsheet to ensure that none are excluded. This works sometimes, but most times it does not.

The stories are now all very formula driven, entertaining but repetitive, and everything is wrapped up in the allotted time. Later seasons use older British actors from long defunct series, wearing industrial strength makeup. Sometimes this poor casting results in unbelievable situations e.g women well beyond childbearing age, pregnant, a forensic pathologist who is well into her 80s, etc. It still entertains (even up to the current season 24), but has lost much of the quaintness and historical accuracy of the original by becoming more "woke"!

The series is more of a soap opera rather than a detective mystery or a police procedural drama. Sarah Lancashire does the lead role justice, but just mumbles incessantly to the point where turning on subtitles becomes a necessity. It's not the Yorkshire or other midlands accents that's at issue, it's the way she delivers the lines , literally mumbling whole sentences under her breath, leaving the viewer straining to understand the dialog.

The soap matches the bleakness of life to the region, as well as the dreary weather. The narrative is well told, and thankfully, unlike in other series, there is not overuse of flashbacks to the point of distraction.

Agreeing with the other comments about Season 3. It was not well done and the ending seemed to be added on as an afterthought. A rather unfulfilling ending to an above average series!

One expects more because it's a British detective series, but Dalgleish just about makes the grade. The acting is that of a well done West End play, but the plots are somewhat difficult to follow at times. Whether this is because the characters do not really stand out or that the narrative is confusing with gaps in the storyline, it's difficult to say. There are episodes where the characters all seem to be the same, like a background Greek chorus, then all of a sudden one is chosen a few minutes from the end to be the villain and culprit. The plots can be often very convoluted but the script narrative and editing are insufficient to really connect the dots and make the final moment understandable. It's a watchable, but not a very memorable series. It's one that helps pass time.

This soap opera revolves around the lives of a couple of housewives, apparently living normal humdrum lives on the surface, but all have hidden secrets of one sort or another. The plot and narrative meanders through murky waters, some paths never reaching any final destination. The choices made and solutions chosen seem to be really stupid, but clearly works for the silly backstory. The narrative runs out of steam midway through the series and then it's all downhill from that point. The ending is very contrived and not at all conclusive. At least one can be sure that there'll never be a second series!

Sometimes, the newer Indian series can be very good, especially if they tackle social issues in a changing India. This unfortunately is not in that category. The writing and narrative for the story is terrible, made worse by the ridiculous way the series is edited with never ending flashbacks that only worsen the viewer's ability to understand how it relates to the characters. There is little in the way of story continuity, character context or development. It makes the assumption that the intended audience already understands the caste system, and justice process in India, hence it really has no global appeal at all. As the series progresses, very little happens, and the plot just seems to go nowhere. Gave up after the third episode.

The basis for this Telenovela is the well worn theme of poor boy gaining access to a wealthy family whose illegal activities has made them wealthy. It is set in the Costa Del Sol, Marbella, but instead of dealing in drugs, this family deals in arms. It starts off fairly good, but by the third episode, the narrative starts to unravel, the plot meanders to include every insurrection and rebellion in the 1970s and 80s, somehow finding a way to involve this family and its nefarious dealings. There are the usual hallmarks of a Spanish production, wigs that appear to be made of polyester and shared between the female stars, soft porn shots, bad audio and huge gaps in the plot as they seem to run out of time and then try to cram everything into the last episode. The time jumps are really silly as there is little in the way of continuity between them. Sometimes, the dots just do not connect. The real star of the show is the opulent lifestyle and beautiful scenery of the region!

This is a silly but entertaining series, especially if one is looking for a bit of a mindless watch. It passes the time as long as one does not look for an Agatha Christie or Midsomer Murder type production. It's not really a detective mystery or even a police procedural drama, more about a "Golden Girl" type character who does not ride quietly off into the sunset on retirement. It's light and superficial, not a Miss Marple type character. Jane Seymour does well for her age but having her trying to do scenes that involve her running after criminals, shows her age! They have also adhered to the new PC style of production, in which ethnic and cultural diversity is a must, even if it doesn't suit the setting. There are the usual current set characters I.e. An Androgynous looking assistant, interracial romance, precocious kids etc. While a bit ridiculous at times, it now seems to the norm for many Britcom productions. Overall, a bit of mindless silliness that works for Lifetime or Hallmark type channel.