TV Review: Bancroft

I think one of the best things I did this year was signing up for a little something called Britbox. The streaming service focused on British entertainment has allowed me to watch old personal favorites like “Doctor Who,” “Are You Being Served?” and “The Vicar Of Dibley.” Britbox has also introduced me to a slew of brand new shows. Actually, I should say shows that are new to me.

Anyways, this past weekend I checked Britbox for something I hadn’t seen, and I landed on a series called “Bancroft.” The 2017 drama stars Sarah Parish as Elizabeth Bancroft, a well-respected Detective Superintendent, who is currently attempting to bring down a criminal gang. At the same time, a cold case which involved Bancroft is re-opened by young Detective Sergeant Katherine Stevens, played by Faye Marsay.

The cold case from 1990 revolves around a young woman named Laura Fraser. She was found murdered in her own home in a pool of her own blood after being stabbed over a dozen times. Spring forward 27 years, where up and coming detective Katherine Stevens (Faye Marsay), is assigned to the cold case desk.

The first cold case Stevens looks into is the stabbing of Laura Fraser. Ar first it seems like he case will have a dead-end, but her research eventually finds evidence of a possible police cover-up, something Bancroft might be at the center of.

I won’t spoil here how exactly Bancroft fits into the cold case. I’ll just say that I liked the idea and brought it something fresh to this type of cop drama. Another nice thing about “Bancroft” is we got to see how Katherine Stevens put together her new evidence. It’s a simple thing, but the actual work gets glossed over in too many cop shows these days.

The premise of the series is rather simple but it works thanks to the excellent performance of Sarah Parish as Elizabeth Bancroft. Parish plays the tough detective quite well, as a natural leader and someone who has given her life to the police force. Consequently, she’s trusted and adored by her colleagues and a promotion to Detective Chief Superintendent looks likely. Bancroft also seems to be a good mother to her son, and possible mention to Katharine Stevens.

But this old case of hers could be trouble, and she will not give up will do anything to make sure it the case remains unsolved. Bancroft is also a very controlling person and this lifts a lid on a part of her life that she can’t control and she doesn’t like it. Watching her was odd because part of you wants to root for her because she is a damn good cop. but the more you find out as the series unfolds, the more you as the viewer begin to wonder if it’s okay to like this woman.

Also worthy of praise is Faye Marsay. She plays Stevens as a detective just trying to do the right thing no matter where it leads. She seems to really care for the victims and their families which makes her stand out from some of her colleagues. There’s conflict in her new job as well after she begins a relationship with Bancroft’s son, and also begins to admire Bancroft as a police officer.

I liked the Katharine Stevens character quite a bit, she’s the viewer’s guide through all the twists and turns in the series. But sadly, we really don’t get a lot of background on her. Maybe that because the series focuses on Bancroft, but a few more lines of dialogue about where she comes from or what she likes to do on her downtime, would have been nice. Regardless, Marsay did an excellent job of making Stevens more human and someone the audience can cheer for.

At just four episodes, events in “Bancroft” move very quickly. The main plotline builds and builds at such a pace that you can’t help but binge-watch the entire thing in one sitting. However, considering how incredible the build-up was, I was expecting more from the finale.

Don’t get me wrong, episode four was a solid episode that answered many questions and had strong performances. But I thought the episode was missing something. From what I understand there’s going to be a second season to the show, so maybe that had something to do with how it ended, who knows?

But if any show needed a definitive ending, I’d say it was “Bancroft.” Oh well, as the Rolling Stones once said: “you can’t always get what you want.”

At the end of the day “Bancroft” is still a series worth watching, and at only four episodes it won’t’ take too much of your time. And even though I was a little unsatisfied with the series’ ending, I’d have to say this show is still one of the better crime dramas I’ve seen, British or not.

“Bancroft” score: B+

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Retro TNU: Saved By The Bell

If you were a kid or a teenager during the early 1990’s chances are you probably watched “Saved By The Bell.” I know I watched the show every weekend. the series became my Saturday tradition. After spending the morning delivering The Patriot Ledger. I’d rush home shower, eat something, the plop down in my room to watch the latest shenanigans at Bayside High.

Like most people, I started watching “Saved by the Bell” with the classic cast of Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Dennis Haskins, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez. I don’t remember ever watching “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” until I saw it on re-runs years later, so don’t ask me about those early years.

Anyways. I stuck with “Saved By The Bell” until the classic cast left Bayside High, sometime in 1992 or 1993. I never watched any of the new casts, though I did try a few episodes of “Saved by the Bell: The College Years.” But by then my tastes had changed, and I didn’t stick around for the entire season. However,r I watched repeats for a few years every afternoon on WSBK in Boston. But as time went on, I stopped watching “Saved By The Bell,” probably sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s.

This changed last Sunday morning when I was flipping through the channels and saw “Saved By The Bell” on MeTV. Watching the show for the first time after so many years was an absolute shock. While I remembered some of the show being cheesy, now some of the jokes felt stale and fell flat. The school and Max sets looked cheap and dated, and I never noticed how much time is spent in the hallway set. And I swear I saw a boom-mic a couple of times. I was also surprised by the lack of establishing shots. The more I think about it, I don’t remember ever seeing the outside of Bayside or the Max in any episode.

The acting was also pretty bad, but then again, it was never that good, to begin with. To be fair though, the acting was not the reason I watched “Saved By The Bell.” The actors did what they could with the material they were given, and the scripts were rather simple. But to their credit, the series did tackle some serious issues like drugs. I remember this being a big deal at my school, to the extent that my teacher showed us the episode one day.

As I said earlier, I stuck with the main cast for a good while. But I also recall some variations to the cast. There was a period where the gang worked at a beach resort, similar to what “Beverly Hills 90210” had done. If I remember correctly, either Kelly or Jessie was missing, and replaced by a young Leah Remini who played the daughter of the resort owner. And then there’s Tori…

Who is Tori you ask?

During another period where Kelly and Jessie were off doing who knows what, the rest of the cast were joined by Tori (Leanna Creel). Tori is probably a character most people don’t remember because her sting on the show was so short. But she made an impression on me because she was different from the other girls on the cast. Sure, Tori was pretty, but she was also tough. A little bit of a tomboy who rode a motorcycle and wore a leather jacket. I really liked her, and remember being pissed off when she stopped appearing on the show and was never mentioned again.

So yeah, I was a little shocked at what I saw a few days ago. But the more “Saved By The Bell” episodes I watched, the more I started to like the series again. The problems I mentioned above seemed to disappear, and soon enough I was back in my room on those Saturday mornings of old. Zach Morris’ giant cell phone never gets old, and A.C. Slater going after Kelly while still dating Jessie was a rather mature plotline for its time.

However, it also donned on me that I was more like Screech that I would like to admit. No, I wasn’t a complete nerd like he was. But I often made a fool of myself over a girl like Screech would do with Lisa. Though in hindsight, Lisa and the girl in my situation probably had a point. And am I crazy, or did Screech eventually get a girlfriend with giant glasses? Or maybe I have him confused with Urkel, who knows.

“Saved By The Bell” is definitely a show of its time. You can see it in the sets, wardrobe, and in many of the jokes. Yet, as shocking as it was watching the show in 2018, I can’t help but still like it. It’s not perfect, but ti wasn’t meant to be. It was supposed to entertain young people at a time when there really wasn’t anything like it on tv. This was a show for young people, and that’s how I’ll always remember “Saved By The Bell.”

Random Thought of the Day

I always liked Bailey better

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

Sabrina the Teenage Witch is back on tv in the new Netflix series “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” But Sabrina’s world is far darker than anything you’ve seen before. In other words: forget the old tv show. This time around, Sabrina Spellman is played by Kiernan Shipka (“Mad Men”). She’s a soon to be 16-year-old high school student who is half mortal and half witch.

As her birthday rapidly approaches, Sabrina struggles with her upcoming Dark Baptism, a ceremony which will see her bound to the dark lord himself. She understands signing the dark book is her calling, and by joining she’ll become a full witch and have use of all her witchy powers. But given the violent apocalyptic visions Sabrina encounters before the ceremony, she can’t decide which path to take.

Going ahead with the baptism requires Sabrina to attend a secret academy for witches, which means leaving behind the only family she’s ever known: aunts Zelda (Miranda Otto), and Hilda (Lucy Davis). Sabrina would also say goodbye to her town, school, and friends Ros (Jaz Sinclair) and Susie (Lachlan Watson), and her wholesome and devoted boyfriend Harvey (Ross Lynch).

Sabrina has a tough choice ahead of her. One that isn’t made easier when outside forces appear to be pulling her in different directions.

Forget everything you ever knew about Sabrina the teenage witch from the old Archie Comics and the ABC TGIF family-friendly sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart. The new Netflix series, “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” is reinventing the entire formula from scratch with a unique mix of darkness, humor, drama, scares, and fun. And it worked on me!

I am rather shocked at how much I enjoyed the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” It’s been a couple of years since I binged a Netflix show as I did with Sabrina. Normally I’ll watch one or two episodes a day, but with Sabrina, I watched the whole thing before game four of the World Series. The show hooked me from the first episode, perhaps this is due to the show’s darker yet fun tone. But more than likely it’s due to leading lady Kiernan Shipka.

Shipka gives the role of Sabrina a ton of depth, and in a number of ways. From her first love to not wanting to disappoint her aunts, to wanting answers so she can make the best decision possible for her life. She’s sweet an innocent, and one of the most loyal friends you will ever have. Kiernan Shipka nails every dramatic element the script requires. But she does it in such a way that as the viewer, you’re almost instantly like her and are rooting for her.

Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis play Sabrina’s adoptive aunts, and they serve as a bit of comic relief. But nothing like in the ABC show. In the new series, Davis’ Hilda is good-natured and sweet, always looking out for Sabrina. Whereas Otto’s Zelda is an authority figure who wants Sabrina to join the coven whether she wants to or not. But Zelda also takes time from her work as a funeral director to sit on the front porch for a smoke break.

Then there’s Chance Perdomo as Ambrose Spellman, Sabrina’s witch cousin from England. He’s often a voice of reason and occasionally her partner in crime. But Ambrose is forbidden from leaving the Spellman home after being placed under house arrest by the Witches Council for attempting to blow up the Vatican.

Last but certainly not least is Michelle Gomez as Mary Wardwell. She’s Sabrina’s favorite teacher and mentors at Baxter High, but that was before she became possessed by the devil’s handmaiden to become Madam Satan, a cunning manipulator who seems to have her own agenda. Gomez is brilliant in the part, and she’s clearly having a lot of fun with the part.

Sabrina’s friends also deserve mention. Ros (Jaz Sinclair) and Susie (Lachlan Watson), and Harvey (Ross Lynch) are all well-developed. Each got back stories and each one has something to deal with at home. These characters weren’t cartoons like in the old show, and I loved how Sabrina would do anything for them, and they in return. Friends like these are hard to find in the real world.

In the end, the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is a welcome addition to the expanding, reimagined television world of Archie Comics. This is a show that packs a ton of story into each episode, making each chapter more like a mini-movie than an individual episode.

The sets and cinematography are incredible throughout, giving the show a unique and timeless look. Add in a solid cast led by the talented Kiernan Shipka, and you got a winner, and one of my new favorite Netflix shows.

“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” score: A

 

Retro Review: From the Earth to the Moon

I’ve always been fascinated by space travel. As a kid, I spent hours reading everything I could about NASA and the various space programs around the world. My sixth-grade science project was on the Space Shuttle, and I even dressed up as an astronaut one Halloween.

Over the years I also devoured any movies and tv shows that had anything to do with space flight. One of my favorite space shows is HBO’s “From the Earth to the Moon.”

“From the Earth to the Moon,” was one of the most expensive television miniseries in history. Costing around $68 million, the twelve-part docudrama took viewers back to the incredible era of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, culminating with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.

Along with producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael Bostick, Tom Hanks served as executive producer/co-writer/co-director/actor and even introduced eleven out of the twelve episodes. Their passion is evident throughout the series, and all of them went to great lengths to ensure “From the Earth to the Moon” would be as accurate as possible.

The ambitious project aired weekly over six weeks in two-hour installments. Each chapter had radically different artistic styles behind the camera. With different writers and directors gave each episode its own tone, look and feel. Each hour of “From Earth to the Moon” plays like a mini-movie, beautifully mixing archival news footage with the new material.

But when “From the Earth to the Moon” first aired in 1998, I wasn’t able to see it, because I didn’t have HBO at the time. I didn’t discover the series until the following year when it hit DVD. It didn’t matter though, I was hooked from the first episode. “Can We Do This?”

Directed by Tom Hanks, the opening chaptter is arguably the most linear, condensing the first few years of the space program into an hour-long episode. This one episode told you everything you needed to know about the history of manned space flight and introduced you to all the key players for the rest of the mini-series. From the opening shots of the Vostok 1 launch to Mike Peck sequence. All of it was a joy to watch.

However, as good as “Can We Do This?” is, other episodes have become my personal favorites. For example, episode five “Spider” begins in 1961, as NASA engineer John Houbolt tried to convince management that the easiest way to land men on the Moon will be to use a separate landing craft. It then traces the design and development of the Lunar Module by a team led by Grumman engineer Tom Kelly.

“Spider” also covers the selection and training of the first crew to fly the LEM: James McDivitt and Rusty Schweickart (along with Command Module pilot David Scott), and culminates with their first flight of Spider in Earth orbit on Apollo 9.

Another episode I can watch over and over again is episode seven, “That’s All There Is.” This episode tells the story of Apollo 12, the second lunar landing mission. The entire episode is narrated by Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean (Dave Foley).

I like this episode because of the friendship the Apollo 12 crew share, and how lost friends are never forgotten by the astronauts.  Pius, there are some very funny moments involving a camera, and a school field trip.

Finally, there is episode ten, “Galileo Was Right,” and episode twelve, “Le Voyage Dans La Lune.” I see these episodes as the two-part story of Harrison “Jack” Schmitt (Tom Amandes). He was the first scientist to go into space.

But maybe, more importantly, Schmitt was essential in getting the astronaut corp the geology training they needed. Plus I also like how nerdy Schmitt and professor Leon Silver (David Clennon) get on field trips.

All in all, “From the Earth to the Moon” remains one of my go-to space shows. IT’s brilliantly cast and directed, no other mini-series has topped it since. I can sit down and binge watch this series at any time, and I usually watch it at least once a year at least.

Whether you saw it twenty years ago, or are just hearing of it for the first time, “From the Earth to the Moon” is an exceptional piece of television, and well worth your time.

Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

The “Doctor Who” season 11 premiere is a success because new star Jodie Whittaker is a natural as the Doctor. Everything she did and said came off as natural, almost as if she’d been playing the Doctor for years.

From the moment she crashes through the roof of a commuter train, Whittaker is without a doubt the same Doctor audiences have been following for 55 years. She’s smart, fearless, and quick to act when people’s lives are at stake.

Once the Doctor is on the scene, she’s immediately in charge and trying to figure out what the heck attacked the train. But where some previous Doctors who may barked orders at people. Whitaker’s Doctor is more of problem-solver, and always includes her new friends on whatever she’s planning to do. Whether it’s building a new sonic screwdriver or explaining that aliens do exist, this Doctor wants everyone to be on the same page.

Joining the new Doctor is a great group of new companions: There’s Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), a directionless 19-year-old who suffers from a neurological disorders that affects coordination; Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill), a police officer in training who yearns to prove she’s capable of more; and Graham O’Brien (Bradley Walsh), a cancer survivor who knows he’s been given a second chance when he met and married Grace (Sharon D. Clarke), a nurse and Ryan’s grandmother.

All of them immediately clicked with Jodie Whitaker’s Doctor, and all of them showed what great companions they can be. From their introductions, they felt like more than just traveling companions for the Doctor. The companions respect the Doctor because she respects them in return. They’re willing to follow her because all she wants to do is help others.

Another great thing is that unlike the last few seasons, there doesn’t appear to be anything cosmically special about any of her new friends. They’re just regular people who get wrapped up in an extraordinary adventure. They all have questions about what’s going on, and some can’t accept that aliens truly exist, but the show handles all that in a fun a refreshing manner. And when in doubt, always ask a bus driver.

‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth’ moves through a lot of emotional territories very quickly. But it’s still an action-packed and exciting episode. However, when it does slow down, it has some beautiful and heartfelt moments between The Doctor and her new friends. The episode is also pretty funny, and that’s thanks in large part to Jodie Whitaker’s manic energy and the confusion Cole, Gill, and Walsh often find themselves in.

Something else I liked from the season premiere, was that the 13th Doctor had a ton of energy, more than usual I’d say. But this is due to her body still adjusting to the latest regeneration. As a long time fan, I really liked this because this is how it usually was.

Look at Peter Davison’s first story in 1981, his Doctor nearly died after regenerating. Having Whitaker’s Doctor suffer some growing pains, was a nice little touch by the episode writers.

 

The episode kicks off a new era for the long-running British sci-fi series – one that includes not only a new Doctor but a new showrunner in Chris Chibnall. This infusion of fresh blood in front and behind the cameras made the Doctor Who season 11 premiere feel fresh while also serving as a great jumping on point for new viewers.

The Doctor Who season 11 premiere is a near perfect start to the new series and for Jodie Whitaker. The overall plot is second to getting the main pieces in motion, for the season, but it gets the job done. Quite frankly, it has been ages since a single Doctor Who episode satisfied me this much, and as far as I’m concerned the question has been answered and Jodie Whitaker IS the Doctor.

‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth’ score: A

Flashback Review: Revenge of the Creature (1955)

For the last couple of months, I’ve been watching old horror and sci-fi movies from the 1940’s and 1950’s. I haven’t watched any of these movies before, and in some cases, never heard of them until recently.

The quality of the films varies from studio to studio, but there’s still something about these old movies that I can’t seem to get enough of.

This past weekend I saw the 1955 film “Revenge of the Creature.” The film is a sequel to the classic “Creature from the Black Lagoon” which came out one year earlier. Which makes sense, because the sequel takes places roughly a year after the events of the first film. “Revenge of the Creature” was directed by Jack Arnold, and starred John Agar as Prof. Clete Ferguson, and Lori Nelson as Helen Dobson. “Revenge of the Creature” is also notable for being Clint Eastwood’s film debut.

This time out, a team of scientists led by Prof. Clete Ferguson make the trip down to the Amazon in the hopes of finding a living, breathing Gill Man. Once there, the team finds that the Creature from the first movie is still very much alive. He’s captured and taken back to the States to be put on display in a Florida aquarium. During the trip, Helen writes a journal about the Gill-man, and she and Ferguson begin to fall in love.

Seeing the two love birds together doesn’t please their colleague Joe Hayes (John Bromfield), who also has a thing for Helen. You know who else has a thing for Helen? the Gill-man. Can’t say I blame Joe or Gilly, Lori Nelson was quite beautiful. Ultimately, the Gill-man escapes from his tank, killing Joe, and flees to the open water. However, the Gill-man is unable to stop thinking about Helen, so he begins to stalk her and Clete.

Things escalate one night when the Gill-man adducts Helen from a seaside restaurant where the two are at a party. Clete valiantly gives chase into the water, but the Gill-man escapes with his captive. Clete joins the police and an army of volunteers in hunting down the Gill-man in hopes of finding Helen before its too late.

“Creature from the Black Lagoon” is such an iconic monster movie, that I didn’t think “Revenge of the Creature” had a chance to be any good. But I have to say I really enjoyed Revenge. The sequel follows the stuff that worked well in the first movie, while also building its on world. The pace in Revenge is much faster than in the previous film. There’s more action, and some of the acting is better here than in the original.

Another interesting thing in this movie is that the monster a lot more aggressive and ferocious than before. He got more to do in this film, and he leaves quite the body count as he rampages through Florida. And some of his scenes (like kidnapping Helen) are down right terrifying. The underwater footage is also rather good in Revenge. It looks clearer then before, and you get a better sense of motion for the Gill-man and the other actors.

But there’s also the familiarity of the first film. Both movies open in the Amazon, and the sequel has a carbon copy of the famous swimming scene. This time though, John Agar treading water with Lori Nelson eliminates the sexual subtext of the first film. Guess the Gill-man is not into threesomes, or more likely, he was added to the scene because the studio got heat the first time.

I thought the cast was pretty good throughout, but the standout for me was Lori Nelson. She’s a knockout, and her swimming was cool and all. But to me, her reactions to seeing the Gill-man were phenomenal. Nelson acted like she really was dealing with a monster, and the way she fought back in the kidnapping scene was terrific.

As a sequel, “Revenge of the Creature” is a fun, loud, action packed ride, and a better B movie than most. It delivered on everything I liked in the first movie, and much more. The creature is scarier, and the girl is hotter.

While the original  Gill-man movie will always be the one considered a classic, don’t discount how good  “Revenge of the Creature” is.