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Reviews
The Goldbergs (2013)
Formulaic comedy lacking any originality
I forced myself at times to watch this rubbish while waiting for TBBT to come on tv. I have to say that along with Modern Family and The Neighbourhood these are the worst comedies I've seen since Happy Days. They are not a patch on Tim Allen's Last Man Standing, Patricia Heaton's The Middle and in its day Everybody loves Raymond.
A very good comedy depends on believable characters, sharp witty dialogue and plots, however far fetched that seem to work. The best comedy contains laughter, a little sadness and a feeling of satisfaction that you haven't wasted thirty minutes of your time when you could have been washing the car. The very best comedy leaves you wanting more even as the credits roll and you'll have to wait a week.
An example of excellent comedic writing is in The Big Bang Theory when Sheldon wakes Penny in the middle of the night on hearing that she might break up with Leonard. He pleads "Please don't hurt my friend". For a comedy it is surprisingly emotional when mixed with the humour.
SAS Rogue Heroes (2022)
Terrific series spoilt by soundtrack
I had initial doubts after the first five minutes that SAS Rogue Heroes would be any good. The swearing is not in tune with the language of the day but is assumed to be by modern writers. It jars with those who knew 1940's soldiers. The biggest turn off is the dreadful lyric soundtracks which completely destroy any atmosphere of the desert war in1942. What idiot thought that by putting modern punk crap over the scenes was a good idea?
The action scenes are brilliant. Not too much CGI. You really feel you are out in the desert so overall not a bad effort. The characterisation does raise some questions as to how truthful they are but as it is a dramatisation then obviously the writers have taken liberties as with most screenplays.
The Last Kingdom (2015)
Bloodthirsty fun!
Being a dedicated fan of Uthred through the books, initially I had my doubts whether he could be turned into a real hero on screen without having Hollywood budgets. Amazingly it has been successful. Obviously there aren't massive armies but the action is gripping and bloody. The characters are well filled out and you end up caring whether they survive.
I didn't know that there was a fourth series as it hasn't been on terrestrial tv which is surprising considering that the BBC had a hand in the first series.
I've just watched the fourth series on dvd almost in one go as I had to get to the end and loved every minute. Well done Uthred and all the cast and crew. Hopefully Uthred will return as the Fates aren't done with him. Destiny is all!
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003)
Lost its shine?
I've enjoyed NCIS ever since it first came on British tv. The mix of action, humour and pathos just seemed to work with NCIS,something that was lacking with the CSI shows.
Saying that, NCiS LA and NCIS NO left me cold as well.
We are now up to Season 20 on DVD and I think it has lost its way. Without Gibbs the agents don't really seem to fit and I couldn't care less if they were blown away. The plots are terrible. The writers have really run out of ideas. The 20th Season should never have been made.
I know that shows develop and change through each season but losing Ziva,Bishop and Dinozzo changed everything. It was obvious that Gibbs had to go. He was way too old for the part in the end. I can't understand the change in Jimmy Palmer. It's like a different person. I've changed my rating from 3 to 1 star to reflect the demise of a great show.