Like our esteemed guest yesterday, I have a great love for all things Red Dwarf. The writing, the sense of humor and the sense of fun the actors brought to the show all combined to make us look forward to PBS fund raising drives. To top it all off, when I retweeted the link to yesterday's Red Dwarf blog post, I got a tweet from the Ace Rimmer Twitterbot saying, "Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast." Hmph. Heartbreaker. I've heard that line so many times.
That said, there's a new show in town. BBC's Sherlock. Loves me this Sherlock Holmes reboot. It's smart and modern. I adore the alteration of Watson's character - a man you *think* has come home from Afghanistan with a ripping case of PTSD - only to find it isn't quite what you think. Sherlock has been updated, too. He's brilliant and he's clear that he's a sociopath. For those of us in the US, the show is only available via DVD rental services like Netflix or as a blu-ray purchase from places like Amazon.
Here's a season one trailer told from Sherlock's point of view (some overlap and a musical backdrop that isn't present in the show). The best stuff is left out.
The thing I like about this update is that Sherlock Holmes is still an addict - but it isn't drugs he's addicted to - unless one counts adrenaline. He's addicted to the cerebral games of one upmanship. I'm also taken with the fact that in this version, John Watson is far more his equal. Perhaps not intellectually, but in a number of other ways, he completely is. Watch the first episode (A Study in Pink). See how that ends and tell me you don't agree.
What else am I missing about the pure win of this show? Anyone?
Any BBC mystery ever shown on PBS, I'm all over them. Midsommer? Yes. Poriot? Even when they should have stopped. Lewis? I'll take an extra helping of Hathaway, please.
My truest, deepest, possibly saddest devotion is to ...
Graham Norton
I know. I know. It's not a mystery. It's a talk show. Graham is full of pranks. Mischief. He's like a funnier Johnny Carson. He's not limited by US censors. Best of all, you can tell by how relaxed his guests are that they're completely comfortable with his inane humor.
Today's post is a bit of a drive-by since I'm packing up all of my ill-gotten gains at the RT Booklovers Convention and heading home. Speaking of which, if you haven't yet seen sister-Word-Whore Carolyn Crane's hysterically brilliant post on HER RT experience, you really must.
So my pick for favorite non-US TV show or series? Has to be Torchwood. Mostly because John Barrowman does a superb job of playing the sexy and omnisexual Captain Jack Harkness. Never has a trench coat looked so awesome. I think partly because it is a British show, they are far more willing to break the lines that tend to confine American television. With a story that's all about challenging boundaries and ideas, this is a wonderful thing.
Seriously - go watch it.
