The Wire

I resisted, strongly. Pals of mine told me this was a superb show, not to be missed. Eventually, I put it on the list. First episode, hmm. Second episode, huh? Third through sixth episodes, what the...? It wasn't until much later in the season that I eventually recognized what the creators of this show were doing. While it may be obvious that the story is about both the drug dealers and law enforcement agents of Baltimore, it's not at all obvious where that story is going for a long while. I am surprised the show ever got a following when it requires a commitment from the viewer to wait for it to unfold over several episodes (it reminds me of The Sopranos in that respect). It goes without saying that the acting is supreme, especially the drug addict trying to go straight (Andre Royo) and the clever drug boss with ESP (Wood Harris). The show does its best to capture every bit of the grittiness of a big-city project and its inhabitants, and that remains my only issue with it. I am not steeped in street language, so it was frustrating to try and understand the street code at first-- good thing I have rewind capabilities. HBO never makes it easy for you (the only HBO series I can recall that was fluff was Sex and the City), and as long as you realize this, you'll be rewarded. No spoilers-- experience it for yourself. Besides, it has the best theme song ever. I double-dog dare you to disagree.

year: 2002-?
length: seasons 1-3 on DVD, season 4 aired, season 5 picked up
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306414/combined

Band of Brothers

Ever since I made the mistake of writing about a series before I'd gotten very far into it, i.e., Red Dwarf (for which I now take back everything I said as it is uniquely hysterical, which reminds me that I owe a certain friend a new review...), I've been rather skittish about doing it again. Problem is, I've been dying to write this review since I saw the first episode many moons ago and if I don't get to say something now I just might bust. Now, I've seen my fair share of war films (of all kinds, from Ken Burns' Civil War to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement) and I figured I'd seen pretty much every depiction of the horror of war. And yet I was wrong. This series gives us all that and more because every episode is taken straight from the mouths of the soldiers who lived it. It stands above the rest because you live with these men from the parachute drops over France to VE day and you see everything -- obviously, the horror, but also the cold, the humor, the maneuvers, and above all the camaraderie that comes from having lived through it all together. I've found all the episodes so far riveting but difficult to watch, particularly the day-in-the-life of a medic, and what they found outside Thalem when they liberated Germany. The mostly no- name actors do a splendid job telegraphing all the emotions of soldiers, notably Damian Lewis and Donnie Wahlberg as officers. Not for the faint of heart, but if you want to know more about the men of the Army's 101st Airborne's 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment's Easy Company and why they're heroes, you won't want to miss this.

year: 2001
length: 705 min. (10-part mini-series)
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185906/combined

Wonderfalls

This is the kind of television that should be made. And may I go so far as to say that only this kind of television should be made. Take a Parker Posey doppelgänger, a popular tourist attraction, a gimmick to keep things interesting (oh, and don't forget the lesbian sibling), smush all that together with witty repartees and you have Wonderfalls. I've only watched 1.3 episodes so far, but I started adoring it after the first 15 minutes. Which means that once again, you'll get my diatribe on why the hell networks can't recognize good shows and give them a decent time to be discovered so they're not cancelled without being given a chance. Or (all together now) why is the viewing public such a bunch of dolts? Enough of that, it's so pointless. This sitcom's mostly about how people handle relationships, which when it comes down to it, is probably what all sitcoms are about. Still, is has a quirky misanthropic viewpoint that makes you feel uncomfortable and not alone at the same time. Might not be everyone's cup of tea (might appeal to twenty-somethings most), but I guarantee you'll see something of yourself in each episode.

year: 2004
length: 13 45-min. episodes
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361256/combined

Firefly

If you watch sci-fi, when was the last time you got hooked on a good sci-fi TV series? If you said Red Dwarf, that's close. If you said Babylon 5, that's closer. If you said Quantum Leap, you're reaching. All these series went to completion (Red Dwarf is still running, bless the BBC). So how depressing is it when you find a series worth watching week to week and they cancel it, even before the first season ends! Of course cancellation isn't relegated to sci-fi (think Sports Night), but it really seems that all the smartly written TV series get cancelled. If this doesn't point to the idiocy of the television watching audience... I mean, it only aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. What else was competing with it?! This series had quirky characters, a bizarre setting (heart-of-gold rum-runners roaming from planet to planet), a uniquely designed spaceship and several good storylines, building on existing tensions between the crew and the setting. Not the perfect series -- the cheese factor is full blown -- but the combination of the actors (clearly having a ball) and the design of the show should have sent it on a successful voyage. Luckily, the crew will be back in a feature-length film, Serenity, this fall. As the producer says in one of the featurettes, perhaps someone will see the film and offer to host a TV series based on it.

year: 2002-2003
length: 15 60-min. episodes
rating: 3.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/combined

Angels in America

This is not entertainment. I mean, it is, but it shouldn't be viewed that way. In the same vein, it shouldn't be viewed as educational. I mean, it is, in that it does educate, but its intent is not to preach. What it really is is dramatic poetry, a Shakespearean play for our times. You certainly notice when monologue-itis creeps into some films, but not in this one, and I think that's because the monologues are breathtakingly true, honest, and eloquent. And they don't go on for longer than they should. This is, one could argue, yet another story about AIDS in the 80s in conservative America. But with screenwriting this intense (and I wish I could have seen how audiences reacted to the original play), it never meant to be included in the AIDs-film genre. As happens in plays, but almost never on screen, several of the actors play more than one part, chief among them Meryl Streep, Jeffrey Wright, and Emma Thompson. They and the other actors do the screenplay justice, hitting all the right notes at the right moments. I'll admit the angel was slightly off-putting initially (I'd imagined it in my mind differently), but that had to be the hardest role of them all, playing a non-human but imbuing it with human qualities without making a joke out of it. By far my favorite scene is that of heaven, which was filmed at Villa Adriana outside of Rome, a supremely beautiful and enigmatic ruin, one of my favorite places in the Rome vicinity. So I guess I get to say that I've been to heaven. Can't be flippant at the end of this review, though. I recommend this film to anyone, in particular those who are interested in all sides of the AIDS story, for it does every side justice.

year: 2003
length: 352 min. (6-part mini-series)
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318997/combined

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Watched The Office? Admired and enjoyed it, while peeping through your fingers as at a horror film? Then you'll find this series a hoot. While you're cringing for different reasons (The Office: clueless people, Curb Your Enthusiasm: clueless situations), you're enjoying them for the same reason -- brilliant comedy. Larry David, writer and producer of Seinfeld, has created a show that supposedly mirrors his own life, although we have to hope everything in the show doesn't happen in his life. Happening to meet the Barney's shoe salesman on the street from whom he purchased a replacement pair of lost shoes while happening to be carrying the found shoes? Right. So, the situations are Shakespearean, in the sense of idiot plots and misunderstandings galore. It could be laughable (and not in the hilarious sense), but he's created tight scripts that are humorous on several levels -- the situations themselves, the ad-libbed interactions between the characters, and the re-visiting of elements from previous episodes. I admit I was quite skeptical myself, and unfortunately any description cannot do it justice. You just have to experience it for yourself.

year: 2000-?
length: seasons 1-2 on DVD, season 5 picked up
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264235/combined

Sports Night

A friend of mine lent me all 2 seasons of this series, bless her heart. After a slow start, I'm hooked. (I like one amateur reviewer's descriptions of series like this: "Like a crack addict, I watch, and waste.") This was Aaron Sorkin's first TV series, before he wrote the unmatchable The West Wing. Ostensibly a comedy about a fictional sports show, it's mostly a prime-time soap opera, with just a dash of sports. As opposed to The West Wing -- if you're not interested in politics most of the dialogue will pass you right by. This show stars the delicious Peter Krause (now also deliciously in Six Feet Under) and the almost equally delicious Josh Charles (most notably from Dead Poets Society). Unfortunately, it also stars Joshua Malina, and while I understand why Sorkin needs this character on his shows, this guy can't do anything other than pure geek. He's supposed to also be a sexy guy who the associate producer character is all pent up over. Unbelievable. The guy exudes about as much sex appeal as a dead rabbit, and he isn't the hottest actor either. (And Malina replacing Rob Lowe in The West Wing -- what was Sorkin smoking?) The associate producer, Sabrina Lloyd, is too perky but I don't mind Felicity Huffmann as Dana, mostly because she keeps up her end in the unrequited love battle with Krause's character. So, what makes me want to watch this unabashed soap opera slash comedy series? It's great fun to see Sorkin in his early years, trying out his wings and flying often if not always. That script timing that's so famous in The West Wing is evident here, even if the lines are sometimes far too obvious. Future genius is very clear: my faves are the "Sally" episode at the end of season 1 (I never saw it coming), the choice of music for the you-waited-long-enough-for-this kiss, and the glass of water and eggnog scenes (good enough to induce belly laughs). And I'm only halfway through.

year: 1998-2000
length: 45 30-min. episodes
rating: 2.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165961/combined

The Forsyte Saga

Good thing I work in a library. The internet was a complete waste of time in figuring out what constitutes "The Forsyte Saga" by John Galsworthy. Without this information, how would I know whether they've filmed the entire Saga or not? The answer is complex -- the original Forsyte Saga is done, i.e., the latest two mini-series to come from Granada Television. (I know little about the original 1960s BBC mini-series.) However, Galsworthy continued to write about his fictional Forsytes in two more sets of books. I don't know if there are plans to film these, and I waver between wanting much more of this excellent series, and wanting them to leave well enough alone. The Forsytes are a moneyed British clan coming apart at the seams due to a horrible scandal early in family history. Many hearts are broken before the end of the series; most of the time, I felt I was watching an extremely well-done soap opera. A soap opera with a society critique at the heart of it, a la Jane Austen. But wait, there's more! The final episode of the second series is eye-opening in terms of the growth of the characters. And while you might have seen it coming, it's superbly staged and scripted. I was quite impressed. If you're still in the Jane Austen mindset, rent these discs. Keep an eye out for sharp performances by Rupert Graves, Ioan Gruffudd, Amanda Root, Emma Malin, and above all Damian Lewis as Soames, played as a despicable character with uncomfortably recognizable emotions.

year: 2002 and 2004
length: 2 mini-series, 9 episodes total
rating: 3.5
IMDB links:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0260615/combined (I)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377125/combined (II)

Upstairs, Downstairs

I can safely assume that the rest of this series will be as promising as the part that I've seen to date (almost half). Granted, there is one major character change which seems hastily arranged but, in toto, this is one of the more thoroughly enjoyable BBC series ever produced (and yes, The Forsyte Saga takes a second seat to this one). Set in Victorian England, it is the story of the gentry, their downstairs servants, and how their lives intertwine and remain separate at the same time. If nothing else, you learn the mores and ideas of the time (e.g., feminism, divorce, that pesky merchant class). For instance, in one episode the lady of the house must let a servant go who is too old to perform her duties anymore. How she told her was something I'll always remember. Even though the language of that time may sound like everyone is walking on eggshells all the time, there are take-away lessons for our times. In this case, the lesson is that there is always a kind way to do a normally repulsive task. The acting is uniformly perfect, with everyone inhabiting their characters to a T. In fact, I saw Gordon Jackson in another production at some point and found him not at all believable, not due to his acting skills but to the fact that he was the butler on this series, and in my mind, will always be the butler.

year: 1971-1975
length: 68 50-min. episodes
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066722/combined

Six Feet Under

I've only seen the first three episodes of this HBO series, but had to report immediately that it's a keeper. I was concerned that they would discuss death too flippantly and/or too sensitively, and they're doing neither. The pilot is one of the best I've ever seen (if you don't laugh at the fake commercials, you don't need to watch the rest of the series). The creators touch on numerous ways that people and cultures grieve, while at the same time establishing the important characters and their modus operandi. You also learn a bit more than is comfortable about "death care facilities," which gives the show a cool "gross" factor that must pull in teens. And the title music is spell-binding. I was still enamored with the series after the next two episodes, mostly because I enjoy the characters, in particular the uptight gay brother and the wacky sister. Rachel Griffiths won a Golden Globe for her role as the girlfriend of the laid-back brother, but hers is not my favorite portrayal to date. Again, though, I've only seen a few episodes. Oh! It might help to describe the show. A funeral home director is killed and his family has to soldier on with the business. Explaining more isn't necessary; you'll get the rest by watching.

year: 2001-?
length: season 1 on DVD, season 3 in play
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248654/combined

The West Wing

Who's my favorite character on this TV series? That's so hard because they're all excellent. I suppose it comes down to two, Toby and C.J., because Richard Schiff and Allison Janney are so good at making characters out of their characters. I mean, they've fleshed them out better than the others have. And they're funnier, to boot. I could see how some folks might be offended at the idea of a wise-cracking White House staff, however Aaron Sorkin blends that with issues in a way that makes it fun to learn about politics and the process of politics. The first season is out on DVD, which I immediately purchased (the only TV series I'm probably ever bound to buy), and 95% of the episodes are fantastic. (There's one -- The Crackpots and These Women -- that seemed phoned-in and is offensive as well.) Moira Kelly is the only original series character not to be included in the following seasons, and it becomes rather obvious why she was "replaced" by Janel Moloney. Hands down this is my fave TV show and I wish it hadn't taken them so long to release it on DVD. Those of us without television, who've watched episodes here and there, were champing at the bit.

year: 1999-?
length: season 1 on DVD, season 5 in play
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276/combined

24

What torture it must have been to watch this one episode at a time separated by a week or more when it aired! Makes me very glad I don't have cable. Of course, the downside is that I stayed up until 2am until my eyes went out on me, which is pretty sickening when you think about it. The series creators do a fantastic job of reeling you in episode after episode, making it as realistic as possible, and building obstacles that are believable. A federal agent (played oh-so-convincingly by Kiefer Sutherland) has a bad day. He has to save a city, or the president's life, or...well, that's two seasons so far. All the sides to the operation are shown to you -- military, political, social, personal. And the gimmick of having it play out in real time over 24 hours is no gimmick, but a clever ploy. The acting is not uniformly stellar, but very nearly so. Sutherland is perfect for the role (which might be surprising to many). He is also mighty scary, because you're never sure what he's going to do next. Which is one of the fundamentals of the series -- never get too attached to a character. He or she might be dead by the next hour.

years: 2001-?
length: seasons 1-2 on DVD, season 3 in play
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285331/combined

The 10th Kingdom

My silly TV rental for the week! I gather it didn't do too well on TV, which surprises me because it's very well done for a mini-series. Perhaps the over-the-top fantasy elements stuck in some people's craws, but that's the appeal of the series. Instead of Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella being characters in children's books, they are part of 9 kingdoms that exist in a parallel dimension to our own kingdom, which is, you guessed it, New York City. Magic exists and mirrors help you travel and communicate between the kingdoms. Two NYC denizens inadvertently travel from the 10th kingdom to the other 9, and adventures ensue. If it weren't for the talents of John Larroquette and Scott Cohen, the series would have been a dud. They are comic relief from the apparent seriousness of so silly a tale. (At one point, after having it explained that they must guess someone's name or else have their heads chopped off, Larroquette's character says "What IS it with you people? What kind of twisted upbringing did you have?") And the places they filmed! It's almost worth it for the gorgeous scenery. You really can rent all the best fantastical TV series nowadays. I have The X-Files, The Twilight Zone and Twin Peaks all on my list of to-watch TV series. Now if only Quantum Leap would come out...

year: 2000
length: 417 min. (9-part mini-series)
rating: 3.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0207275/combined

Sex and the City

Can't believe I'm reviewing this, right? I admit I'm hooked on this show and have been anxiously awaiting the fourth season DVD release. (Not having cable stinks sometimes.) It's hard to explain what I like so much about the series. There's nothing deep or particularly thoughtful in it -- just a bunch of well- dressed New York single women in their 30s trying to find guys. Maybe I like that because it's an HBO show it never has to be vague about sex. Maybe I like the dresses and the shoes and the hairstyles. Maybe I just think it's fun. Yeah, that's it! It's fun, it's naughty and it's easy on the eyes. And don't watch it alone -- it must be giggled over with girlfriends while drinking Cosmos.

years: 1998-2004
length: seasons 1-4 on DVD, season 5 in play, season 6 picked up
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159206/combined

Lonesome Dove

I suspect this is a highly regarded TV series, based on Larry McMurtry's novel of an 1800s cattle drive from Texas to Montana. It makes you feel as if you're watching a real cattle drive, but I didn't find the story that special. It's a classic epic in which there is a long journey, many deaths, many characters coming together and then apart, but in the end I didn't feel that anyone learned anything, so what was the point? If I had to pick a favorite actor out of this star-studded cast it would be Ricky Schroder as the young illegitimate kid. But the rest acted like they were in a Hallmark movie, especially Angelica Huston. And Robert Duvall! I don't get the fascination with his method of acting. Could he stop that silly giggling/smirking at least for some of his films?

year: 1989
length: 384 min. (6-part mini-series)
rating: 3.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096639/combined

Pride and Prejudice

This is the first and the best Colin Firth film. Based, of course, on the Jane Austen novel, it's your basic romance novel but with lovely Brit accents and sentences that are deliciously complex. Plot: girl meets boy, girl hates boy, boy proposes marriage to girl, girl utterly rejects boy, girl discovers the errors of her ways. The film isn't really based on the novel; it IS the novel. I had no trouble watching the film after reading the book. They do add some lines that make the proposal scene all that more yummy. All the characters from the novel are acted pitch-perfectly in the film, especially the mother (who will tend to grate on your nerves), but Colin Firth takes the cake. Is there another actor around who simply by staring at the screen can evoke longing, desire, willpower, ache and sadness? He needs a new agent. What a Girl Wants? Ack. He's so much better than the fluff he's been choosing, Bridget Jones's Diary notwithstanding.

year: 1995
length: 327 min. (6-part mini-series)
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112130/combined

Space: 1999

Jim's direct quote: "This is the most boring TV series I've ever seen." Yup! You know how some things hold up from your childhood: Pippi Longstocking, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Beatles? Well, this ain't one of 'em. I had to watch this particular episode again because as a kid I remember having nightmares (for months!) about the monster in the episode, and I wanted to see if it was still scary. Nope! The worse-than-cheesy effect is a monster made out of long fleshy-looking tentacles with a bright light in its middle. It sucks people in and spits out their charred bodies. For a 9 year old, this was terrifying. Watching it now just made me laugh. Poor Martin Landau, stuck in a sci-fi vehicle that is so yawn-inducing, I wonder now how I actually kept awake to watch it in 1975.

episode: "Dragon's Domain"
year: 1975
rating: 1.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072564/combined