BBC
Top Gear: The Greatest Thing You Aren’t Watching (Unless You Are)
Feb 26th
A mitten state expat and child born of the automotive industry’s greasy womb, I have always found myself preoccupied with cars. The only one I ever owned met a sticky end just before I moved to the land of public transportation, but my love has never diminished. In fact, it’s grown. Moving to a city that demands a car ranks high on the list of things I’d like to accomplish in the next couple of years. Few understand my motives, because car culture in America is not what it used to be. Unless you’re a fan of the less cerebral offerings of NPR, there isn’t an entertaining pop culture forum for car talk. (I’m not counting anything relating to NASCAR because I find it suffers from a complete lack of verve.) Fortunately, in England, where I recall the cars being either black cabs or double decker buses, there exists a strong fascination that’s been put to good use for over 30 years in the form of a world’s greatest talk show. That show is Top Gear, and since its most recent incarnation debuted in 2002, it has made for some of the most ridiculously entertaining chat, celebrity interviews and vehicular shenanigans on TV.
The new season (which aired in the UK in Autumn 2007) premiered last night on BBC America, but based on the show’s popularity, this may be nothing new to you. There are an estimated 350 million Top Gear viewers across the globe. It airs on a 5+ month delay in the US, but it’s status as one of the most pirated series online means that few fans are willing to wait.
You are missing out if you haven’t caught it. In any given episode, the three hosts (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May) could construct limousines out of cardboard, strap a coupe to a rocket, paint liberal propaganda on the sides of trucks while driving through Alabama or ask Helen Mirren about her sexual proclivities. They are arrogant, obsessive, obnoxious alpha males who also happen to be hilarious. Their antics have earned them constant comparisons to the boys of Jackass, but that is something I can’t abide. They may goofy, but they’re also British. And British means classy.
One of the biggest selling points for Top Gear is also the number one reason why the proposed US version is a horrible idea. These guys are not fans of America. It’s hardly a running theme in the show, but Top Gear is the only series in BBC America’s Yankee-friendly lineup that opening challenges our status as global bully and egoist. The hosts’ lack of bias also means that they drive more foreign cars and feel free to rip apart anything they please. The impending NBC version will feature less inspired rides and steer clear of criticism to avoid offending advertisers. It will be a completely different beast, and I can’t imagine the folks they choose to host it will be anything short of repulsive. It had originally been proposed that the hosts of the British version host the US outing, but ringleader Clarkson wasn’t too keen ons spending substantial time in the states. No worries though, because we always have the original. And unlike their scripted siblings, British talk and reality are highly prolific.
Top Gear airs Mondays at 8pm on BBC America
Torchwood‘s Second Season: Sexier, Sadder
Jan 24th
The BBC America debut of Torchwood was the most successful launch in the network’s history. They responded by giving their audience a treat that’s more foreign than the programming itself – a near-simultaneous broadcast of the new season on both sides of the Atlantic. If you’ve ever been a fan of UK exports, you know what I mean. Whether it be because of copyright issues, laziness or residual spite from the mother country, most British TV that makes it here at all is forced to sit in customs or TV purgatory for months before it airs on American tubes… apparently until now. I didn’t exactly like the first season of Torchwood. Not as much as I wanted to like it anyways. But my desire to love it kept me watching, and despite the mediocre premiere and even less compelling finale, there were enough solid episodes in between to bring me back. The promise of James Marsters didn’t hurt their case either.
The second season (premiering Saturday at 9PM) begins with the group trying to take out a alien/demon without their fearless leader who disappeared at the end of the last season. (My Buffy eyebrow is officially raised.) Just when things are at their most dire… Jack reappears to save the day and drop an obligatory wink and “did ya miss me?” They did, but like all sidekicks, they’re still bitter he left in the first place. James Marsters shows up dressed as some sort of alien drum major before any of this is addressed. Masters’ character (John) and Jack engage in an obligatory make out session before their lust escalates to a well choreographed ass-kicking as Blur plays in the background. It’s possibly the hottest thing ever put on television, but the allusions to Marsters’ TV roots go a little past flattery.
After the initial canoodling, Jack goes on to make passes at both Gwen and Ianto, and we resume the sexual seesaw that is Torchwood. This rampant and insincere bisexuality might actually be offensive if it wasn’t so depressing. The lamentable portrait of Jack, the immortal hero, as a lonely wonderer, drawn to working with a team but aware that he’s always a few inches too far to ever really connect with burns almost every scene in the season premiere. What he doesn’t know is that his team is no better off than he is. They hump each other to find solace from their dark line of work, but all they do is alienate each other and themselves. It’s like a subtle, twisted argument for abstinence.
Torchwood has admittedly reinvented itself this season. The writing is sharper, the actors are more comfortable with their characters, the production quality is far superior and the humor is… existent. There’s also this slight and unexpected shift in tone. Sexuality that was soapy camp is now dark and slightly desperate. This change coincides with the characters’ acceptance and even the temptation of their own mortality – an inevitable watershed in most science fiction series. It’s curious that the Torchwood team would find themselves at this place so soon in their run, but the show’s rapid maturity doesn’t seem to be anything but an improvement.
Delayed Reaction: Hotel Babylon Finale
Nov 28th
Once the turkey-coma had finally subsided, the DVR was almost as full as I was. I promise the rest of the week won’t be catch-up, but for today, we have to spend a moment reminiscing on BBC America’s first run of the tasty Hotel Babylon which ended this past Wednesday. Babylon has been on for what seems like a year – not that I mind, but BBC’s unspoken decision to lump the first two seasons together left me wondering when it was all going to end.
Well, it’s a good thing they waited. The season one cliffhanger of Charlie’s shooting seemed so forced that the drama barely registered. I honestly didn’t even remember it when they aired the conclusion the next week. The season two finale, and the episode in question, serves as a much more fitting end for its current run. A super fancy (and super snotty) hotel magnate is finalizing his plans to buy the Babylon. He only wants to hire Rebecca, but gives her the opportunity to keep on two of her staff. After much deliberation, she fires everyone but Charlie. Everyone is so upset that they stage a small coup. And no one has sex! When it turns out that the mass firing was a stall tactic to keep the Babylon out of the wrong hands, Rebecca has already lost everyone’s trust. She takes this as a sign for her to leave her post and recommends that Charlie be her replacement. He runs after her to change her mind, but she is unswayed. A teary goodbye and snoggage ensue.
Cliffhangers of this sort are easily resolved – typically. We’d expect Rebecca to return next season… possibly in a lesser capacity… maybe forced to work back up the ladder? Not the case. Actress Tamzin Outhwaite has jumped the HMS Babylon in hopes of a film career. Sad on so many levels. Rebecca was not an expendable character. Her relationship with Charlie had too long of a build up for such a little payoff. Most of the characters on Hotel Babylon are caricatures at best, but Rebecca had depth. A woman so out of touch with those around her, she barely registered as human. It should also be said that Outhwaite’s bizarre speech patterns and frequently raised eyebrows were a highlight of the show. We will miss her, but at least the door is once again open for a Natalie/Charlie reunion.
Weekend TV: I Want Your Sex
Sep 21st
Three weeks into the football season and one week shy of the return of our network favorites, this weekend might be your last chance to check out some of cable’s recent offerings before both of your box’s tuners are otherwise ocupado. I’m referring to two shows in particular: BBC America’s run of Torchwood and HBO’s new relationship exposé, Tell Me You Love Me. Though one is about alien hunters and the other is about couples with issues, they have one thing in common: lots and lots o’ sex.
I wanted to review Torchwood in week one, but the pilot wasn’t remotely sexy – and that’s what has earned the show most of its buzz. That changed in the second episode when we met an alien that fed off of sex with humans until they were reduced to pile of dust. Not what you’d expect from a Doctor Who spin-off, but it’s what we got. DW veteran “Captain” Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) leads this small cast as they try to make the streets of Cardiff safe … and he’s more than happy to sleep with anyone who looks at him right. There are a couple of reasons to tune into this one. Barrowman’s real life sexuality is shared by his alter ego, and Torchwood’s willingness to show their lead in comprising positions with both men and women is definitely a first. The show is also entertaining as hell and captures the sublime amalgam of comedy, camp and drama that has made the new Doctor Who such dynamic programming. Either way, I’m sure the folks at Sci Fi are kicking themselves for not securing the rights to this one.
As for Tell Me You Love Me, it’s impossible to mention the show without making sex the focus of the discussion. The story of three troubled couples and the therapist they share, TMYLM aims to shed an unforgiving light on intimacy. And they accomplish this… by showing testicles. Creator Cynthia Mort maintains that the graphic sex and nudity is just there for heightened realism, but it’s actually quite distracting and, in many scenes, horrifying. Besides, is there ever any sex or nudity in film and TV that isn’t gratuitous?
That’s not to say it’s bad. Where the documentary style filming and elderly bjs are tiresome, the acting and character development (especially on the part of the women) is remarkable. Most interesting of all might be Carolyn (Lost veteran Sonya Walger). The British actress plays a woman desperate for babies with the steely resolve of a vampire on the prowl. Her ignorance of how she’s destroying her marriage with her quest to brood is hard to watch but even harder to turn away from. Also noteworthy is Katie (Profiler’s Ally Walker), whose sexless marriage and resulting loss of gender is like watching a car accident in slow motion. She’s so consumed with her role as mother; she doesn’t even remember how to be alone.
Torchwood (BBC America; Saturday; 9PM) is fun, and Tell Me You Love Me (HBO; Sunday; 9PM) is kind of fascinating. Neither are required viewing, but both are worth checking out.
Science Fiction Explosion: Who Needs a Social Life, Really?
Aug 10th
Earlier this week, former Buffy scribe and all around awesome lady Jane Espenson wrote a piece for The New Republic on the odd phenomenon of science fiction failing on television while dominating cinema. She explains why she feels certain sci-fi connects with the masses when most representations of the genre can’t escape their niche, acknowledging that most people just like their metaphors easily digestible. Given the difficulty of getting a greenlight for sci-fi shows, it’s odd that we’re seeing such a large crop of them the last couple of weeks. For all you lucky shut-ins, here’s a guide to this weekend’s most geektastic offerings:
Flash Gordon (9pm, Friday, SciFi) – Flash is a 70-year-old comic book fixture that I know nothing about, but a little research tells me that he fits Espenson’s bill for the ideal Sci-Fi protagonist: a normal person suddenly thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Unfortunately for Flash, even his history and possibly accessible premise can’t earn this newest incarnation good reviews. I’ve yet to see it for myself, but those with whom I generally tend to side are not feeling this remake. Pre-judge not, lest ye be pre-judged, kids.
Jekyll (9pm, Saturday, BBC America ) – The US run of this short-lived BBC drama started airing last week on BBC America. A modern rendition of Jekyll and Hyde, it tells the story Tom Jackman (James Nesbitt) – a man who is the unknowing decedent of the real Dr Jekyll. Instead of dangerous experimentations with drugs or serums, Hyde is activated by a genetic marker that passed down the generations. The ways in which Tom interacts with his evil counterpart (through a digital recorder and shared assistant) make him almost Golem-esque. It’s rough seeing Nesbitt as a creep after playing the greatest dad ever in Millions, but the ease with which he seems to play the two characters probably couldn’t be rivaled by many. At only six episodes, tuning in for Jekyll isn’t much of a commitment, but it’s well worth it – if only to better acquaint yourself with new Bionic Woman Michelle Ryan.
Masters of Science Fiction (10pm, Saturday, ABC) – Like Showtime’s Masters of Horror before it, ABC’s new miniseries brings in some of the genre’s notable writers and directors for four Twilight Zone style installments intended to pretty much unnerve you. It hasn’t been as heavily promoted as last summer’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes on TNT, which is a shame, because it’s much more thoughtful. Last week’s premiere found Sam Waterston and Judy Davis playing psychologist and patient in a post-apocalyptic battle of wills. Waterston, who I’ve never given a second thought, did a stellar job evoking the criminal naiveté of our current Commander In Chief. Lost’s Terry O’Quinn stars in tomorrow’s episode, “The Awakening”, about a non-human casualty of the Iraq War. The biggest problem with MoSF is the utterly bizarre narration by super-brain Stephen Hawking. If anything busts up suspension of disbelief, it’s that robotic voice.
Finally, whether it be science fiction, spiritual or just crap with a vaguely supernatural twist, it should be noted that HBO’s first and (I can only imagine) final season of John From Cincinnati concludes on Sunday. Questions are promised to be answered, but I still don’t even know what to ask.
Hotel Babylon: Are You Being Serviced?
Aug 9th
The folks over at BBC America recently realized that our nation’s interest in British television is not limited to Benny Hill. In turn, they have been kind enough to start airing a hefty crop of shows currently airing in the UK. Their latest offering, Hotel Babylon, is actually based on a book by British journalist Imogen Edwards-Jones, and, just like the novel, it serves as a steamy, fictionalized exposé of life at a five-star London hotel.
More so than the high-drama serial antics of shows like Footballer’s Wives, Hotel Babylon tries to bring back the steamy prime time soaps of the 70s and 80s and does so quite effectively – with an impressive lack of camp given its country of origin. Each episode sees the different high-profile guests bring their own dramatic baggage to the hotel, forcing the staff of the Babylon to sort it all out while remaining very much on top of their own, internal issues. It’s not unlike Fantasy Island – had Ricardo Montalban and Tattoo been very hot and British and everyone’s fantasy been to get laid.
Hotel Babylon works because it provides viewers with the same service its fictional locale gives its guests: a slick, stimulating, one-of-a-kind experience that offers a satisfying respite from the world outside. The bright, saturated colors and smooth camera work carry you from room to room with the staff – all of whom are convincing enough to compensate for the frequently annoying character actors who frequent the hotel. Max Beeseley (Glitter – really), in particular, stands out as Charlie, the new general manager. Charlie is as charming as someone in his position needs to be, and Beesley plays him like a scrappy Daniel Craig – and that is a good thing.
Bravo is currently trying to capitalize on the sensational antics inside hotels of this nature with their new reality series Welcome to the Parker. Unfortunately for them, real life is hardly as fun or glamorous as Hotel Babylon. Worth a watch whenever, it’s the kind of show best left sitting on your DVR or TiVo for when you’re craving an hour of television that requires zero mental legwork but isn’t at all mindless.
Hotel Babylon airs Wednesday nights at 9pm as a part of BBC America’s “Wicked Wednesdays.”