X-Files - Season #1

The X-Files - Season #1

Fox
Drama / Sci-Fi / Mystery

10th Sept 1993 - 13th May 1994
24 Episodes
Approx. 40-50 minutes per episode

Viewed Nov-Dec 2012
--Abandoned after 6 episodes--
 
E



This TV series starting way back in 1993 completely passed me by first time round, but for the blog, and as a kind of preamble to Fringe, it seemed too important to ignore. Therefore, for the sake of a tenner I threw my prejudices out the window and picked up Season #1 from Amazon and added it to my library... I don't think I should have bothered.

Things didn't really bode well when I had to send the first delivery straight back because of scratched discs. Not a good start. Still, with the re-order and re-delivery out the way it was a case of diving into Episode 1. First impressions were not good. For a start the picture quality was of a poor standard and while I know we're talking 1993 here this just looked like an obscure, low-profile, cheap-budget series from the early 1980s! The lighting also remained dark and smudgy throughout and all this proved a turn-off from the start.

We then have the terrible storylines that a sixth form film studies student wouldn't be proud of, plus cheap inconsistencies that crop up time and time again. Can a local sheriff of a small town really hold up a gun to FBI agents and tell them to get off a piece of land? Do you really need candles to light a room at night just because you're discussing something scarey? Does your hair stay dry when you have nothing to cover your head and you're out in the pouring rain? Can a seriously injured hospital patient get out of bed and take people to the woods at night on a regular basis and return with absolutely no one noticing him missing? And why are there suddenly a flurry of deaths at a key location when Scully and Mulder arrive?

There is plenty more nonsense where that came from - and this is just from episode 1! Along with its dated appearance we also have to put up with the wooden acting of Mulder and the poor dress sense and ridiculous hairstyle of Scully, along with poorly delivered dialogue. In all honesty when I had finished watching the first episode my first reaction was: "Can I really watch 24 episodes of this!?" The short answer to that, of course, is no... and I haven't. I have managed six and I really can't take anymore.

The thing is, I did try to give it a chance, I really did. The conspiracy element and those alien items being stashed deep within the Pentagon, along with the government high-ups keeping things hush-hush, was an intriguing aspect but this interest kind of fizzled out when Mulder started coming up against too many brick walls. All episodes started following the same formuliac and pedestrian pattern: strange goings on occur - Mulder and Scully investigate - key things happen that prevents them solving the mystery - game over. This may be frustrating for Mulder as a character but it's also a lot more damn frustrating for the viewer as well.

Here are just a few examples of inconsistencies and wishy-washy ideas:

1. An incredible stretchy being with super-human qualities  (known to have such powers along with weird genetic make-up) is put into an ordinary cell with a small opening fitted for his meals. There is no other security or surveillance.

2.  A young girl is abducted then turns up out of the blue but is prevented from answering questions because the mother doesn't want her to!!?

3. A strange yeti creature that may have evolved over millions of years sets up camp in a disused warehouse. The discovery of the creature would be the biggest find in history. They discover it and persue it, hit it with a tranquiliser dart to put it to sleep within the hour, yet the police shoot it dead shortly afterwards!

4. With much talk of the possibility of there being an offspring; little toddler yeti appears from a hole in the ground in the woods - concluding the episode with the most predictable and tedious ending ever!

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Finally, in virtually every episode, only Mulder (the believer) actually sees the paranormal activity; every single time. Scully (the sceptic and doubter) is always the one trudging behind and is the one who always just misses out on seeing the mysterious bright lights or the being suspended in mid-air! Seriously, it's all acted with the utmost sincerity and seriousness yet it's all utter bollocks. I lasted six episodes in the hope that things might change  - but they didn't. We had the same formuliac tripe being spewed up over and over again. I ended up just not being able to take it anymore. If you haven't seen this one, save yourself your time and money and leave well alone.

Downton Abbey - Season #1

Downton Abbey - Season #1
ITV
Drama / History

26th Sept 2010 - 7th Nov 2010
7 Episodes
Approx. 50-60 minutes per episode

Viewed Nov-Dec 2012

C+



Steam trains, morse-code and servants going about their business at the country mansion all make an appearance in the opening scenes to this very English drama, Downton Abbey. The costumes, setting and props all make it clear what era we're talking about here but to make it all plainer than plain, news of the sinking of the Titanic starts to filter through to those at the house. 'Tis April 1912 and the news doesn't bode well for the inhabitants at Downton Abbey least of all for Lord Grantham who's trying to steady, and keep afloat, a very big ship of his own.

This is Upstairs Downstairs territory folks, and as you settle down to this sumptuous offering by the ITV network, you're about to be introduced to the experiences of both those who enjoy the privileges of wealth and upper-class living and those who make it happen by keeping the cogs moving and well oiled. You'll be following the key events and dramatic moments over a time period of just over 2 years, up to the point in the summer of 1914 when Britain and Germany are at war - announced rather grandly, in the grounds of Downton Abbey, by Lord Grantham during a garden party.

The main issue facing the family of the house, as we join the shenanagins, is the matter of who is going to inherit the place when Lord Grantham breaks off his mortal coil. Tradition and custom, precious values held dear by the hoity-toity at the time, dictate that that particular honour is to fall to the next male heir which happens to be some very distant cousin that hardly any of the family have even heard of... some rapscallion peasant doctor who goes by the name of Matthew. Cue massive speculation and political manoeuvring around who the eldest daughter might or should be betrothed to... and cue the eldest daughter being torn between family duties and what she really wants in her heart.

While all this is going on, we also get a peak into the lives of the servants of the manor and how they go about their business. Downton Abbey is a very very big house and there are at least a dozen servants required to maintain the upkeep of such a fine building. They too live on the premises and are constantly engaged in the hustle and bustle of activity that is required to keep things ticking over which also means they practically live in each others' pockets. Such a claustrophobic existence, where you're with the people you work with 24/7, is quite a challenge so we get the "win little victories to get you through the day" mentality sweeping in at every turn. Squabbles and in-fighting abound, but we also get those characters who take things just a little bit too far. Out and out sabotage and foul-play is also afoot; virtually a way of life for those who toil down below.

The series is a good enough romp but it's all very standard, non-groundbreaking stuff. You will more than likely have watched other TV dramas that are very much of the same mould. If you're picking this up on a disc and you have blu-ray, I would recommend going blu-ray. Downton Abbey, its country grounds, the nearby village and other locations nearby are splendid settings and if you have a blu-ray player you'll want to capture that extra clarity and detail by appreciating it all in glorious high definition.

*Character profiles will follow after a review of Season #2**