Category Archives: TV

Best Star Trek Series? #StarTrek #BestStarTrekSeries

April 30, 2022Review, series review, TVAlex Kurtzman, Anthony Rapp, Archer, Ash Tyler, Brett Anderson, Bryan Fuller, CBS, CBS All Access, Chris Obi, Danby Connor, Doug Jones, DS9, Ellen Landry, Enterprise, Gabriel Lorca, Gene Roddenberry, Harry Mudd, Hugh Culber, James Frain, Janeway, Jason Isaacs, Jeff Russo, Kenneth Mitchell, Kirk, Klingon, Kol, L'Rell, live long and prosper, Mary Chieffo, Mary Wiseman, Maulik Pancholy, Michael Burnham, Michelle Yeoh, Nambue, netflix, Paul Stamets, Philippa Georgiou, Picard, Rainn Wilson, Rekha Sharma, Sam Vartholomeos, Sarek, Saru, Shazad Latif, Sisko, Sonequa Martin-Green, Spock, Star Trek, Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Starship Enterprise, STD, Sylvia Tilly, T'Kuvma, Terry Serpico, The Next Generation, TNG, TOS, Voyager, Wilson Cruzbryanajparry

this post was originally published in 2018, hence the lack of in-text reference to Star Trek: Picard

It’s truly the Great Aunty Edith of the Star Trek family

I’m a big Star Trek fan. So I’ve been massively excited by the new Star Trek TV series, Discovery, and couldn’t wait to see the first episode on Netflix! Will it be a hit or a flop? Only time will tell, though most of my non-Trek friends are surprised to hear there’s a new series. Either way, it raises the question: which Star Trek series is best?

The Original Series (1966-1969)

Okay, so I grew up in the 80s and 90s. Therefore, this show was always hopelessly dated for me. I like the themes, and I am thankful it gave us the Trek franchise, and yes, some of the films featuring the original cast were pretty good. But sorry: the series is naff and painful. It’s truly the Great Aunty Edith of the Star Trek family; there’s no doubting the depth of affection for her, we just don’t want to ever see her again because she is an out-of-date embarrassment.

The Next Generation (1987-1994)

So this is what got me into Trek. I saw my first episode around 1995. To today’s kids, this must look as naff and dated at the original series looked to me when I was a kid (The Original Series was 25-ish years old when I got into The Next Generation, and The Next Generation is now about 25 years old itself). Asides from the early episodes which were very campy and involved soon to be jettisoned stuff like Troy’s bizarre accent and Picard’s peculiar Frenchness, the series was fairly solid with a lot of great episodes.

Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

For me, this is the best Trek by far. It’s where the franchise decided to bravely seek out new worlds that Star Trek could go. It straddles the old world of rose-tinted optimism and 22 episode seasons of random adventures, and the new post-Battlestar Galactica world of tense, tightly plotted, ten episode seasons, where the world is shades of grey, not a simple good versus evil. From the start of the Dominion War arc, DS9 also foresaw the tight central plot arc and went to dark places not explored before or since in Trek.

Voyager (1995-2001)

Too much, too soon. Next Gen was just winding up, and DS9 had barely begun let alone found its groove. Voyager would have benefitted from a couple of extra years development. Yes, the concept was good: a squabbling crew thrown together on a Federation starship hurled roughly 70 years from home. A female captain was much appreciated. And the show features one of my favourite Trek characters of all time: the Doctor, who was the Emergency Medical Holographic backup program which was forced to run full-time when the actual doctor got killed. A great spin on the non-human coming to terms with and trying to become human (see Data in Next Gen, Odo in DS9). Sadly, most characters were crap, and it took about four years to even get going.

Enterprise (2001-2005)

Brilliant costume and set design, a real gritty and primitive edge, wonderful developments of the early Federation: earth is barely united, and the Vulcans are very much senior partners. Great characters, great acting. Yes, it also took a while to get going. Not helped by the name, “Enterprise” as opposed to “Star Trek: Enterprise”, even the program-makers realised their error and re-inserted the “Star Trek” branding in the fourth season. But by then the damage was done. Premature cancellation in season four makes this show a somewhat frustrating, what-could-have-been.

Discovery (2017-??)

Hardly fair to judge it on the first season alone. And Star Trek is notorious for slow-starting series which only gear up after a few seasons. None-the-less, Discovery has great design and some lovely characters. There were some shocking twists, yet never for the sake of it. I can’t say it was perfect. I think 7/10 is a fair rating. Never-the-less, this might be the best first season of a Trek ever.

In Summary

Which Star Trek series do you think is the best?

© 2017-2018, 2022 Bryan A. J. Parry

featured image from http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–DODcLv8l–/18ib0bu2nm9t4jpg.jpg

Netflix loses “Star Trek: Discovery” @StarTrekOnPPlus @paramountplus #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery

December 5, 2021series review, TVcustomer choice, fans suffer, fans win, netflix, Paramount, Paramount Plus, Star Trek, Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Discovery Season Four, streaming services, streaming warsbryanajparry

I refuse to get another service. And I mean it. Are you listening, Paramount? … You’ve just killed your baby.

Bad news:

I’m not going to let myself blow up over this in text form, or else this post will become a book. But here it is in short:

Netflix have lost the rights to show Star Trek: Discovery just days before the launch of the fourth season on its platform.

Paramount have pulled it, like other companies have pulled and are pulling stuff from Netflix, in order to develop their own streaming platform.

Customer choice is always best, isn’t it? Usually. And in the world of streaming, it has to be a good thing that the magnificent Netflix isn’t the only game in town.

However, it isn’t economically viable for me to sign up to another service. Nor do I wish to bin off my Netflix subscription. Therefore, broken-hearted but with no doubts, this Star Trek fan will not be able to continue watching the magnificent series Star Trek: Discovery.

I refuse to get another service. And I mean it. Are you listening, Paramount? I only have so much money.

Double bad news: without the backing of Netflix, I bet the wonderful Discovery crashes and burns. People with Netflix hardly know of it as it is. It’s over for this fantastic series. So sad. Well done, Paramount, you’ve just killed your baby.

featured image from https://aws.boxofficebuz.com/articles/2021/11/17/star-trek-discovery-season-4-premiere-date-announced.jpg

Netflix Limited Series Review “Ripper” (2020) #100WordReview #NetflixReview

January 24, 2021Review, TVbryanajparry

engrossing

Four episode Ripper is Netflix’s recounting of notorious serial killer The Yorkshire Ripper, a.k.a. Peter Sutcliffe, and his murder spree across northern England in the ’70s and early ’80s. The series follows the standard script: talking heads, archive footage, and narration overlaid. None-the-less, it was thrilling. Well told, we are immersed in the world of ’70s/’80s Britain. With Sutcliffe’s recent death due to Corona (in December 2020), this is a timely and engrossing look at one of Britain’s worst ever serial killers.

As the series itself says, we all expect and want the serial killer to be an otherly monster, but the reality is far more banal, and far more terrifying.

4/5

featured image from the-ripper-netflix-735×400.jpg (735×400) (screenrealm.com)

Upcoming Movie and TV Reboot: 4 #spoof

January 20, 2021film, spoof, TV#MovieReviewsBlog, #spoof, @MovieReviewsBlo, Back to the Future, Cabin Fever, Cabin Fever 2002, Cabin Fever 2016, David Bowie, Death at a Funeral, Death at a Funeral 2007, Death at a Funeral 2010, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 2005, Fantastic Four 2015, Game of Thrones, GoT, Harry Potter, HBO, Hulk, Hulk 2003, Hulk 2008, J. K. Rowling, Jennifer Connelly, Labyrinth, Labyrinth 1986, Lord of the Rings, LotR, Peter Jackson, Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes 1968, Planet of the Apes 2001, Planet of the Apes 2011, Pottermania, reboot, remake, spoof, superman, Superman 1976, Superman 2006, The Hills Have Eyes, The Hills Have Eyes 1977bryanajparry

the-x-files-revival-cast

The X-Files: the Amazon Prime Series (2025)

Once the new X-Files series (starting 2016) got cancelled after two seasons, it was only a matter of time before a reimaginized reboot would happen. Relive the story anew of the odd couple that was African American logical smart-thinking LGBT activist, Divinity Scully, and white middle-class zany new-age Jew, Davina Duchovny, as they investigate the paranormal — all at the tax-payers’ expense.

Note: this article was originally written in 2016, and the prediction about only two seasons of the new X-Files has actually come true!

Upcoming Movie and TV Reboots: 3

December 17, 2020film, spoof, TV#MovieReviewsBlog, #spoof, @MovieReviewsBlo, Back to the Future, Cabin Fever, Cabin Fever 2002, Cabin Fever 2016, David Bowie, Death at a Funeral, Death at a Funeral 2007, Death at a Funeral 2010, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 2005, Fantastic Four 2015, Game of Thrones, GoT, Harry Potter, HBO, Hulk, Hulk 2003, Hulk 2008, J. K. Rowling, Jennifer Connelly, Labyrinth, Labyrinth 1986, Lord of the Rings, LotR, Peter Jackson, Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes 1968, Planet of the Apes 2001, Planet of the Apes 2011, Pottermania, reboot, remake, spoof, superman, Superman 1976, Superman 2006, The Hills Have Eyes, The Hills Have Eyes 1977, The Hills Have Eyes 2006bryanajparry

The Lord of the Rings: the HBO series (2022)

After scrabbling around for something, anything to replicate the success of Game of Thrones (finished 2018), HBO finally hits upon the idea of a Lord of the Rings series(!) It’s time to go back down the Hobbit hole, but this time using all the appendices and flabby bits that Walsh, Boyens, and Jackson wisely left out of the film, in an all new, ten-episodes-a-series, eight-series epic. Starring Sean Bean — who dies again.

Note: this article was originally written in 2016, and this prediction has actually come true!

Upcoming Movie and TV Reboots: 2

December 9, 2020film, spoof, TV#MovieReviewsBlog, #spoof, @MovieReviewsBlo, Back to the Future, Cabin Fever, Cabin Fever 2002, Cabin Fever 2016, David Bowie, Death at a Funeral, Death at a Funeral 2007, Death at a Funeral 2010, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 2005, Fantastic Four 2015, Harry Potter, Hulk, Hulk 2003, Hulk 2008, J. K. Rowling, Jennifer Connelly, Labyrinth, Labyrinth 1986, Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes 1968, Planet of the Apes 2001, Planet of the Apes 2011, Pottermania, reboot, remake, spoof, superman, Superman 1976, Superman 2006, The Hills Have Eyes, The Hills Have Eyes 1977, The Hills Have Eyes 2006bryanajparry

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Part I (2022)

For a new generation of kids and fans, J. K. Rowling’s world now eked out with additional previously undiscovered source materials, this will spark a new frenzy of pottermania. Each of the first six books will receive a two part film makeover each, with the final getting a trilogy — or a two-part trilogy, depending on the box office takings.

Spitting Image Season One (2020) Review #BritBox @BritBox_UK

December 7, 2020film, Review, TVAdele, BoJo, Boris Johnson, BritBox, comedy, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Attenborough, Dominic Cummings, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Glasgow Kiss, GMB, Good Morning Britain, Idris Elba, James Bond, James Corden, Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden, Jurgen Klopp, Megan Markle, Nichola Sturgeon, Pope Racebryanajparry

Episode One
Episode Two
Episode Three
Episode Four
Episode Five
Episode Six
Episode Seven
Episode Eight
Episode Nine
Episode Ten

Spitting Image is the legendary satire-with-puppets show from the 80s and 90s. Crude, surreal, and always biting. This show helped define the era itself whilst commentating on it. And in a world seemingly gone mad — Brexit, Trump, Covid-19 — it seems the perfect moment to awaken the kraken. We’ve seen false dawns before (Newzoids 2015-2016), but this is the real deal, the return of the king.

Spitting Image Season One was a mixed bag, to be blunt. The structure of an episode started out a bit chaotic, but then gradually got stronger, until the last few episodes when it was generally good: satirical takes on the news events of the week were interspersed with running sketches. The show definitely grew in self-confidence throughout its run, and hopefully this rhythm will give the show the exit velocity required to launch a more consistent second season.

The puppets were absolutely magnificent (with the bizarre exception of one, Nicola Sturgeon, read here for more details). Even better than the original run’s puppets, whilst totally in keeping with the style. Of course, the puppets would be nothing without the puppeteering, which was splendid.

The biggest problem with Spitting Image Season One, and it’s quite a big problem for a weekly satire, is that it often lacked bite, edge, or even good jokes. Worst of all, it was frequently very lazily written. Prince Andrew getting hit in the head, James Corden getting killed in almost every episode, Trump’s hands are small: no amount of repetition can render these “jokes” funny.

A show this well-funded and with a team of 16 + writers, many of whom are veterans (David X. Cohen, Al Murray, Patric Verrone), with some of the best voice talent around (Billy West, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr), and frankly genius caricatures and puppeteering, just cannot be this badly scripted. Okay, they are responding to moving events, which is hard, but that should be bread and butter for the talented team behind this show, many of whom are stand-up comedians or with a background in improv. And just look at South Park, they are able to create hilarious and highly contemporary stories and jokes. Furthermore, Spitting Image often barely mentions current new events (see ep 7): a real clanger was the US Election Special Part II which was extremely light on US Election Special stuff.

In short, everything about this show was magnificent — apart from the writing. There were many highly memorable moments, but Season One is best watched in 24 minute compilation format; there simply isn’t enough funny stuff to fill ten episodes. But this is a show we need. So I look forward to season two despite Season One being, on balance, poor.

2/5

featured image from https://i.inews.co.uk/content/uploads/2020/09/PRI_144981546.jpg

BritBox Review: Spitting Image S1E10 #BritBox @BritBox_UK

November 29, 2020film, Review, TVUS Election Specialbryanajparry

originally posted at www.moviereviewsblog.com

Recent episodes of Spitting Image have been a bit weak. Would the season finale arrest this decline, or are we locked in a death spiral?

Episode 10 had the usual mix of running sketches and references to that week’s news events. This week, Priti Patel’s bullying came up. Boris Johnson compares it to his Eton shenanigans and declares Patel’s behaviour “harmless banter”. The whole cabinet then proceed to “banter” Hancock by physically abusing him while victim Hancock proclaims, “I’m part of the gang”. Probably the best scenes of the episode. Satirical, references current events, and the surreal elements had some basis in truth (Priti Patel “deporting” a succulent plant out the window for being “foreign”).

There were many other funny moments, too. Barack Obama was portrayed as a money-grubbing, corrupt, shyster who only cares about selling his book. Great to see a hero of the liberal-left satirised. Harry Styles tries to be macho but just keeps getting camper, which made me laugh. And Taylor Swift was portrayed as vacuous and basing everything on market research. The runner Mike Pence’s Fairytales for White Folk was actually funny this week, almost makes me regret that we won’t likely be seeing it again. Fox Man Starmer was also back, and as usual he isn’t so much “forensic” as he is a tedious law bore. None of this was razor sharp, but it was all diverting satire with surreal and grotesque streaks running through it.

The satire was indeed more on-point than during most of the series. A great example of this was the satire of Amazon, referencing absurd over-packaging of items and its almost creepy invasiveness. So much funnier than all that nonsense with Bezos on Mars from previous episodes.

There were a few clangers, though. Bezos’s girlfriend’s puppet looks exactly like a whitewashed Megan Markle puppet. This was weirdly distracting. The song number was once again unfunny. And there were a few sketches that went on a bit long.

None-the-less, Episode 10 was a stronger outing than in recent weeks, a decent end to the season. Just nudges a three.

3/5

featured image from https://i.inews.co.uk/content/uploads/2020/09/PRI_144981546.jpg

BritBox Review: Spitting Image S1E9 #BritBox @BritBox_UK

November 28, 2020film, Review, TVAdele, BoJo, Boris Johnson, BritBox, comedy, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Attenborough, Dominic Cummings, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Glasgow Kiss, GMB, Good Morning Britain, Idris Elba, James Bond, James Corden, Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden, Jurgen Klopp, Megan Markle, Nichola Sturgeon, Pope Race, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, Richard Branson, Ru Paul, Ru Paul's Drag Race, Ru Paul's Pope Race, satire, SNP, Spitting Image, The Queenbryanajparry

originally posted at www.moviereviewsblog.com

Spitting Image Episode 9 continues with the rhythm it found in the last outing, running sketches interspersed with satirical takes on the news of the week, and it was characterised by the same growing confidence in its own material.

As for the “news of the week” stuff, we saw Cummings get sacked. This was a diverting if not totally amusing section. There was also a return of Trump and his launch of Trump TV. Again, hardly side-splitting, but it was good to see the best character in the show back again. We also also saw Matt Hancock give an interview on Good Morning Britain, an event whose significance, such as it was, has already been forgotten by society. None-the-less, vaguely interesting but hardly amusing.

The episode was characterised, as so often during this first season, by frankly unforgivably lazy writing. The Mars stuff, where we see Bezos, Musk, and Branson trapped on the Red Planet and passing the time by blazing the days away, is as unfunny and pointless as ever. The addition of Oprah showing up as she “has houses everywhere… even on Mars” was not in the slightest funny. Joe Wicks rears his head again only to be (once again) splatted by a frying pan. This running sketch is so forgettable that I have no idea why the writers keep doing them. But the pièce de la resistance of awful and lazy writing was the treatment of Nicola Sturgeon. I am no fan of Sturgeon or the SNP, so I was yearning for some good quality satire here, but this was truly dire stuff. The accent and mannerism was all off, the jokes was bizarrely lazy. I mean, “Glasgow kiss”? Seriously. But the worst sin of all, the puppet was really poor. This show has phenomenal puppets, and it is a puppet show, so this was just shocking in its general direness. The worst part of this sketch? It has actually made me take the SNP’s side in a debate: this was lazy and vaguely racist, poor quality nonsense from the Spitting Image team.

But it wasn’t all boring or lazy or unfunny. Jurgen Klopp once again amuses, starring opposite Idris Elba in a new section called “Good Klopp Bad Cop”. I didn’t need to reach for the needle and thread, but despite the lack of split sides I did at least smile along. The life of the modern rock star mockumentary sketch was overlong, but still quite snort-worthy if not full-on laugh-worthy. The joke was summarised, “Modern pop stars: focused, middle class, and tedious”. David Attenborough’s further tech fails did actually make me laugh, as did a scene with Ronaldo as a fat pub landlord: the line “Mini Frazzles… but enough about your dick” made me chuckle. And Ru Paul’s Pope Race was actually very funny, I can’t deny. To top it off, there was another “comedy” song which, although not funny, was for the first time this season not totally awful.

Despite some good moments, Episode 9 was still fairly poor quality. I’m even more convinced of what I said in my Episode 4 review: Spitting Image Season One will be best viewed as a 24 minute viral video compilation of its best bits.

Reference: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/nicola-sturgeon-spitting-image-puppet-23061793

featured image from https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/nicola-sturgeon-spitting-image-puppet-23061793

BritBox Review: Spitting Image S1E8 #BritBox @BritBox_UK

November 22, 2020film, Review, TVAdele, BoJo, Boris Johnson, BritBox, comedy, Dominic Cummings, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, James Bond, James Corden, Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden, Megan Markle, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, Richard Branson, satire, Spitting Image, The Queen, US Election Specialbryanajparry

Spitting Image Episode Eight saw the show begin to get into the swing of things. With its running sketches, such as Govey in Paris and the Bond auditions, this felt like a show that was finally finding its rhythm. Sadly, it’s not a hugely funny rhythm.

The anthropomorphised Coronavirus “Coronie” is back again. He’s depressed because of the vaccine, but gets a pep talk from the Flu who tells him that Chicken Pox isn’t down in the dumps so why should he be? So Coronie vows to “mutate with the times”. Uninspiring stuff, but at least it has surrealism to make it borderline diverting. Something that cannot be said of our inane Bezos-Musk-Branson storyline featuring the three entrepreneurs trapped on Mars and getting high as kites. This is as unfunny as ever.

Biden comes face-to-face with the Illuminati which is comprised of underused puppets created for the show, one of which is Piers Morgan. But really, Morgan is that influential? Having him as a main member of the Illuminati could only be motivated by a desire to flatter the real Morgan’s huge ego in order to get air time on GMB. Weird stuff.

But it wasn’t all dire.

Harry and Megan made a return. It’s still the same joke: he’s a clueless put-upon prat and she’s a power and fame hungry C lister who’ll stoop to anything to get breaks. None-the-less, it’s amusing. A rather amusingly well-delivered line from Harry was, “Either I’m an idiot, or you’re the greatest actress of all time”, to which she responds “Oh, Hairr-brains, that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said”. As much as I’ve been doing down this show over the last few episodes, that exchange genuinely made me chortle, and it was also refreshingly humanising of these two individuals.

The spoof of Tarantino was completely straight-forward and predictable but none-the-less reasonably amusing.

BoJo was shown as beholden to public opinion and willing to flip-flop at the drop of the hat if the people, that is, Marcus Rashford, will it. This was quite amusing, and I shared an online clip of this segment, such was my amusement.

Idris Elba‘s “smoulder” was back, and pretty amusing. The best bit of the episode, really, all five seconds of it. And there was some mockery of Gwyneth Paltrow‘s new age nonsense, which also amused. The James Corden impersonation is still shockingly accurate, hard to believe it isn’t actually him. Seeing Corden get hit around the head with a club by Tiger Woods was satisfying and amusing, but it was hardly great satire.

Amusing. Yes. “Amusing” is the word. Much of this episode was amusing, some of it raised a smile, but none of it made me laugh out loud as moments from previous episodes did. Therefore, even though it was more solid than Episode Seven, it has no real stand-out comedy moment unlike last week’s outing. Although there was an exceptional stand-out bit of surrealism where Kanye West takes to rearing GMed cattle which are designed to grow trainers instead of hooves which he then just snips off and sells…

Spitting Image seems to be finding a rhythm, finally, and growing in self-confidence, but it is still uninspired and lazy, lacking in bite, edge, or even good jokes.

2/5

featured image from https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Kanye_Spitting_Image.jpg

The Doggerelizer

where a writer manqué splurges words all over your screen

Category Archives: TV

Best Star Trek Series? #StarTrek #BestStarTrekSeries

© 2017-2018, 2022 Bryan A. J. Parry

Netflix loses “Star Trek: Discovery” @StarTrekOnPPlus @paramountplus #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery

Netflix Limited Series Review “Ripper” (2020) #100WordReview #NetflixReview

Upcoming Movie and TV Reboot: 4 #spoof

Upcoming Movie and TV Reboots: 3

Upcoming Movie and TV Reboots: 2

Spitting Image Season One (2020) Review #BritBox @BritBox_UK

BritBox Review: Spitting Image S1E10 #BritBox @BritBox_UK

BritBox Review: Spitting Image S1E9 #BritBox @BritBox_UK

BritBox Review: Spitting Image S1E8 #BritBox @BritBox_UK

© 2017-2018, 2022 Bryan A. J. Parry

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