Review: Skins - Effy

I've been trying to let the episode resonate and not post the first thing that came out. To say that I was shocked by this episode was an understatement. For the most part of the episode, I have to commend Skins for tackling the subject of Effy's illness. Sure, this isn't the first show to tackle a subject like this but with this show being aimed a particular audience; it was good for them to try. Unfortunately, for the subject itself, most people will not be talking about that. Instead they will be talking about the last 5 minutes.

Only read on if you've seen the episode 

The last time we saw Effy, she was lying in hospital after her attempted suicide, in episode 5. Now she's in a psychiatric hospital being counselled by John Foster, played by Hugo Speer. After being released, Effy follows a disciplined schedule, even writing the things she needs to do on a whiteboard. Effy reconnects with Freddie for the first time since the hospital; she refused to see him while getting treatment.

Going with Pandora to pick up her college results, Effy is called into Mr Flood office. More interested in league table averages and funding, Flood shreds Effy's results. These had said she failed all her exams because she couldn't take them due to her treatment. Flood gave her a new paper of results that said she got all A's.

Continuing to see Foster, she seems to coping well, but memories are starting to fade to the point that she refers to herself as Elizabeth and doesn't recognise Cook. Freddie goes to see Foster but encounters a locked door and a baseball bat; all that we see is blood spatter.

My initial feeling about Foster was right; I knew there was something not to be trusted. However I wasn't expecting him to do what he did. I didn't see the point of having Foster putting on Phil Collins and "rocking out" to Easy Lover. Are Skins trying to say that we should never trust a Phil Collins fan?

In season 2 when Chris died, there was an emotional connection with the characters and viewers. With Freddie's demise, Skins seem to be going the opposite direction, in preferring to shock. It almost seemed desperate rather than story driven. They might have a lot of people talking about it but more people will wonder why they chose the way they did.

Next week will be last in the series and also the last with the current cast.

Review: Modern Family - Truth Be Told (Series.nu)

Check out my review of episode 17 from Modern Family, now up on Series.nu

Katherine Heigl's possible Grey's exit - do we still care?

The TV buzz over the past few hours has included the possible end of
Katherine Heigl's time on Grey's Anatomy (EW was one of the first to break the story). She's been missing for most
of the season due to extended leave to shoot a film and maternity
leave since adopting a child.

The long running saga, off camera, could possibly be coming to an end.
It has actually become boring hearing the same story of her leaving,
every season so if it's true, this yearly dance can come to an end.

In my opinion, the character Izzie was at her best in the first couple
of seasons. I for one found the whole hallucinating sleeping with your
dead fiancé ridiculous.

The show is over populated, so it can do with shedding a few characters. I haven't missed the character at all and the show has proved that there's sufficient actors/characters to follow.

As for the actress herself, her current film career is
filled with not very good romantic comedies that don't even use the
best clichés. Heigl proved with her Emmy win that drama is where she
sells it and she should try and burst out of the rom-com bubble before
she gets eternally typecast.

Melrose Place - international hit?

I have to say that I received a good laugh after reading Thomas Calabro, who plays Dr. Michael Mancini, recent interview on E!'s website.

It wasn't because he thought Melrose Place was going to return or hint towards more cast from the original making a reappearance. No it was the statement about the show being an international hit. Here's the quote "Here's what's going on with that: We're coming back," Calabro tells us. "Right now, we're airing our first five or six episodes internationally, and I think the show's a big international hit. That's enough to bring a show back."

I didn't even know that it was airing anywhere else but the US and UK. I can't speak for how Melrose Place is doing in other countries but it debuted, in the UK, with 113,000 viewers on Five's digital channel Fiver, with another 7,000 on the catchup service an hour later. At the time, it gave the channel its best ever Wednesday ratings. However the second episode drew 89,000 viewers.

When Archer debuted a couple of weeks later, on a Thursday night, it gave the channel 159,000 viewers for each of its half-hour instalments at 10pm and 10.30pm.

It's definitely not a hit here where a catchup episode of Desperate Housewives, shown an hour after airing can attract more viewers at 11pm then Melrose Place can at 9pm. I can't say I know anybody that watches it and the media certainly don't mention it any more when reporting ratings or anything else.

I have heard many times that US networks don't look into international ratings. Why would they, if they don't count online viewing from people in their own country. When does someone viewing in Boston, UK count the same as someone from Boston, US.

If The CW choose to renew Melrose Place, then it will be based on viewer figures in the US, money and whether or not they find something better to air instead.

Review: Modern Family - Fears (Series.nu)

Check out my review on episode 16 of Modern Family called Fears.

Read it on Series.nu

Review: Skins - JJ

The first few minutes are very chopping, as they try to show what an average day for JJ is. This includes work, his mother picking him up, her testing him on science and him talking in a microphone about his thoughts for the day.

JJ has a crush on a girl from work called Lara. Thomas, who also works there, prompts JJ into asking her out. Thomas tells JJ that if he doesn't do it in ten seconds, then he'll ask her out himself. JJ runs to stop him and ends up asking her out over the tannoy system.

Before his date with Lara, Freddie brings a heavy bag to JJ's room. Inside is a recently escaped, Cook. JJ hides him in his room, locking the door as he leaves for his date.

JJ appears a couple of hours early so Lara still needs to get ready. While she's doing that, JJ entertains her son with his magic tricks. Unfortunately, when trying to change baby Albert's nappy, he pees in JJ's face.

Nervousness and a comedy of errors lead to an awkward date between the two of them and failed escape plan for JJ. Despite this and JJ spitting drink her face, the two of them sleep together.

JJ is seen outside the psych support centre by Albert's father Liam. Coupled with not wanting to talk to him after meeting his parents, JJ head butts Liam at work.

There are 2 key conversations that helps JJ towards the end of the episode; his conversations with his father and Liam. There was also a conversation with Emily but I feel that was more about Emily's issues. Maybe it serves a better purpose for her to deal with her issues with Naomi.

Move over John Cusack and Say Anything. Apparently the way to win a girl's heart is playing Spandau Ballet's True, on a mini guitar, accompanied by others. I have to say I found it corny and by the end of the episode, I was left wondering if this was all in JJ's head. There were only things of note for me in this episode; them finishing off by playing Spandau Ballet's Gold and that I want to try JJ's choice of drink, Capribena - Capri Sun and Ribena.

As I said before, the beginning was choppy. I found it uneven and it seemed more rushed than usual. This wasn't an episode that I enjoyed and its the second episode in a row that I've come away feeling less than impressed. Effy's episode is next and I hope it picks in quality.

Review: Skins - Freddie

Freddie and Effy are in their own indulgent, drug induced world. So much so that Freddie is neglecting his family, friends and studies. The latter sees him in a meeting with Mr Love (Educational Intervention), played by Will Young. I felt just as uncomfortable as Freddie was, watching this scene; the Michael Jackson references didn't help nor did the slight reference to Young's song, 'Leave Right Now'.

Freddie spends the episode struggling with the past, concerning his mother, and the present, with how Effy is behaving; both women have more in common than he would have wished for.

I'm not going into the specifics of the episode on purpose, all I will say is that they tackle a big subject. I feel like they are trying to get an emotion from the audience that they achieved from one of the episodes in series two.

I would really like to know how much time had passed from last week's episode and this week's. Effy has always been intense but she seemed like a completely different person and I feel like I had missed an episode.

This episode left me scratching my head. I commend the effort of tackling the storyline but in the context of the series, it seemed disconnected at times. Other main characters were thrown in at brief moments but I don't think they helped the story. I was expecting more with the character Mr Love and it left me feeling flat.

I think Freddie's scenes with his grandfather and father could have been slightly extended to help him, and us, understand more what his father went through with his mother. I feel this was an important element to why Freddie wanted to tackle things on his own.

Next week it's JJ's episode.

Castle coming to the UK - yay and nay?

On Thursday it was announced that UKTV's Alibi had picked up the rights to broadcast Castle. I've been lucky enough to catch a few episodes and have mentioned, in a previous post, that I really like this show. Richard Castle has become one of my favourite TV characters.

After my initial excitement wore off, the realisation of it all took over; the show will be on Alibi. This might not mean much to some people but for me, this channel is a way for me to catch some of the episodes of Murder She Wrote that I didn't catch the first, second, third or fifteenth time it has every been aired.

Yes the channel does have crime drama's but its line up consists mostly of rebroadcasts from other UK channels, some dating back to the 80's; Murdoch Mysteries is one of a very small handful of shows that have originally aired in the past couple of years.

I read The Hollywood Reporter's story about the acquisition, which included quotes from UKTV acquisitions manager Alexandra Finlay "This acquisition exemplifies the channel's ambition to secure other key U.S. and international crime content in the future."

Alibi boss Steve Hornsey added "Alibi is well known for its high-quality British content, and introducing a hugely successful U.S. series in "Castle" will not only broaden the appeal of the channel but also the editorial mix. Adding Castle to our schedule should be seen as a clear message of intent."

I thought that if one of the main five channels didn't pick Castle up then maybe Sky1, E4, ITV2 or one of Five's sister channels might pick it up. These have proven track records with showing US TV and higher viewing numbers.

Scepticism aside, I do hope the show does well enough and others get to enjoy it. I will be keen to see what advertising is done, if it performs well and if the channel does add some more new content to help it become more than just a channel of repeats.