The Idiot Box
Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits.
I last wrote a blog post in this series back in February 2022. Then for various reasons, I stopped. Possibly because my relationship with TV has changed in recent years. It’s fair to say at present that viewers are spoilt for choice. There are lots of very good shows around. Conversely, there is also a lot of bland, generic, filler as well. I appreciate that not every television series has to be an industry milestone and there are times when I’m content to watch undemanding content. However, I am very protective of how I spend my leisure time at present. I am not prepared to sink 6 or 8 hours into a show that is just “okay”. Hence I’m becoming very particular about what I watch. If something isn’t working for me in any fashion then I just abandon it and am happy to do so.
Thoughts on TV shows and my current viewing habits.
I last wrote a blog post in this series back in February 2022. Then for various reasons, I stopped. Possibly because my relationship with TV has changed in recent years. It’s fair to say at present that viewers are spoilt for choice. There are lots of very good shows around. Conversely, there is also a lot of bland, generic, filler as well. I appreciate that not every television series has to be an industry milestone and there are times when I’m content to watch undemanding content. However, I am very protective of how I spend my leisure time at present. I am not prepared to sink 6 or 8 hours into a show that is just “okay”. Hence I’m becoming very particular about what I watch. If something isn’t working for me in any fashion then I just abandon it and am happy to do so.
NCIS: Origins. The first season of this prequel to NCIS has been a proverbial breath of fresh air. Where NCIS has become a cartoonish caricature of itself, NCIS: Origins is the polar opposite. The characters are well defined, plausible and interesting. The cast is good and the stories are centred around everyday cases, rather than hyperbolic “let’s save the world” scenarios. It really is a case of less is more. Mercifully, CBS have had the sense to renew the show for a second season. As for NCIS, it continues its slow decline, as it gradually morphs from a military police procedural drama into something akin to Murder She Wrote.
Teacup. Loosely based upon the novel Stinger by Robert R. McCammon, Teacup centres around a group of neighbours in rural Georgia who are trapped on a farm and forced to confront a mysterious and deadly threat. As they struggle to survive, they must overcome rising tensions and uncover the truth behind the strange occurrences. Teacup has a strong start and then continues the pace over its subsequent 8 episodes. The shorter 30 minute episode format works to the show’s advantage. There are some solid jump scares and a fair amount of gore. I like the idea of a horror film turned into an episodic TV show but commissioning network Peacock obviously didn’t and cancelled the show.
Dept. Q. Every now and then, someone makes a police procedural drama which takes a different approach to the genre. Based on a series of books by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen, Dept. Q relocates the stories from Copenhagen to Edinburgh. Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), a disliked but talented detective, returns to police work after being shot and is given a cold case unit to run. It is naturally a “poison chalice”, set up for political reasons. He is assisted by enigmatic, civilian employee Akram (Alexej Manvelov) who may have worked for the Syrian Police prior to moving to Scotland. This nine part Netflix drama is well written, with an involving plot and compelling characters. It doesn’t pull its punches and the language is ripe. Its inherent differences to standard genre fodder is what makes it such good viewing. Akram is also one of the most enigmatic characters I’ve seen in a drama for a while.
Bookish. Set in London after WWII, Bookish is a beautiful distillation of the classic detective and whodunnit genres. Blending Sherlock Holmes, Poirot and Miss Marple (and much more) Bookish is written and stars Mark Gatiss. In lesser hands this could have ended up a rather self congratulatory fan service but, here it is a multifaceted drama that blends the cosy, with the classic detective tropes. It also alludes to wider social commentary, with the lead character, Gabriel Book, being in "lavender marriage” with his wife Trottie. Beautifully shot in both the UK and Belgium and sporting an interesting modern take on period music, Bookish has all the hallmarks of a genuine hit show.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I am very pleased to see this iteration of Star Trek return for a third season. It’s nearly been two years since the last episode was broadcast. Despite being set in a time period where large swathes of the existing, canonical lore can potentially hem the show in, it still manages to innovate and expand in a very creative way. Furthermore it does this without crossing too many lines with its retconning. There are several standout characters, especially Doctor M’Benga, played by the superb Babs Olusanmokun. I am also happy with the return of classic crew members such as Spock and Scotty and the opportunity to explore their past more. I feel this show totally eclipsed Star Trek: Discovery, from which it was a spinoff. I look forward to watching the remainder of the season.
