‘The Smoke’ Episode 1 review
From the pen of Chimerica scribe Lucy Kirkwood comes Sky1’s new firefighters drama, The Smoke.
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From the pen of Chimerica scribe Lucy Kirkwood comes Sky1’s new firefighters drama, The Smoke.
Let’s not beat about the likely raccoon-infested bush. As Rob Lowe’s Chris Traeger might say, ‘Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America’ is, literally, the best TV tie-in book ever written.’ Or, if you’d like it put in a more Ron Swanson style of succinctness, ‘It is a book. It is good. Read it.’
Now this is a real treat. Edmund Butt’s score to Mark Gatiss’ terrific Doctor Who drama. You all remember An Adventure in Space and Time, don’t you? It’s the 90 minutes last year that made several generations of Who fans get all moist-eyed and nostalgic, some for a time they weren’t even alive in.
Kicking of the first in a trilogy of adventures, we find the Sixth Doctor travelling with his spirited young companion, Philippa “Flip” Jackson.
An adaptation is always going to differ from its source material. Deal with it. A play can’t be the book, and neither can a movie; what’s necessary is to capture the mood and essence of the story and transplant it to a different medium.
So, you’ve finished all those discounted post-Valentine’s chocolates and reached the end of the Basket Case trilogy you were watching in search of some emotional release from the pain of single living (you weren’t?). What now? How about four more nasty movies to ease your suffering?
The continuing war effort and particularly, the role of women within it, are key elements in tonight’s episode of Mr Selfridge.
Believe the hype. The Lego Movie is as good as everybody’s been saying it is, perhaps even better. This film is an absolute blast – it’s endlessly entertaining and has a really strong narrative core that works because it is simplistic, optimistic and joyful. It captures something very particular about childhood and it’ll work especially … >
Channel 5, not traditionally known for supporting home-grown talent unless it’s emerging from a reality show, has piggy-banked enough to air its first original drama in nine years: Suspects. It’s a police procedural, shot in documentary style, and it’s semi-improved by the cast – are the alarm bells in your head ringing yet?
There might be a simpler way to avoid the situation where your fans are parroting catchphrases at you than simply doing away with dialogue altogether, but Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton have never exactly done things the easy way.