The following has mild amounts of spoiling. Please wait until have seen the episode if you don’t want even the vaguest of details.
From the minute John Barrowman first appears on screen, you know you are going to be in for something special. He starts out cool and charismatic. Your first thought is, “Well, he doesn’t look that scary.” Oh, but he will be. For two minutes later you see another side of him, and as he smashes the window of the neighbor’s apartment and gets ready to tie up a few loose ends, you realize he is definitely going to be trouble. He won’t be seen again until the final seconds, but the glare he gives from the shadows of his car could give the bravest of us chills. Desperate Housewives won’t be on again until after Easter unfortunately, but you can be certain there will be plenty of action once it returns.
Muse played a semi-secret show at SXSW on Friday and announced that video would be available on MySpace this weekend. Said video is now up (and has been linked to above). Unfortunately only the last two songs are available due to sound issues that night, but the video is still worth checking out. Includes the two final songs for the night: Stockholm Syndrome and Knights of Cydonia.
A big happy birthday shout-out goes out to Gary Oldman, who turns 52 today. Oldman is known for being in a number of films, including Batman Begins/The Dark Knight, The Fifth Element, and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, as well as his portrayal of Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series. Sirius returns to the wizarding world in the final chapter, Deathly Hallows. Oldman is also listed as reprising his role as Commissioner Gordon in a future Batman film.
As a postscript I would also like to wish a happy belated to Oldman’s fellow marauder in the Harry Potter films, David Thewlis. Thewlis plays Remus Lupin in the series. He will also be making an appearance in Deathly Hallows. He turned 47 yesterday.
Fooling April played an intimate show at Rockwood Music Hall tonight at 6pm. Even though the band is from Philly, this was not their first time in NYC (although it was their first time playing at this venue). Normally they play the Bitter End on Bleaker St., but the change in venue suited them nicely. Their set ran for just under an hour and included songs both old and new (well, newish). Next time they come to the area I will be sure to promote it so more people can experience the positive vibes this band has to offer. Or, if you’re in the Philly area, you can go see them play their Beatles charity tribute on April 1st. It promises to be a night to remember.
After reading today’s title article, I felt the need to share a brief analysis of the anticipated American Torchwood and what I believe will make or break the success of said show.
I first became a fan of Doctor Who and Torchwood back in December, when I finally decided to spend my vacation checking out what all the hype I had heard about both series was about. When I first heard that there would be an American version of the show, my immediate reaction was… fear.
Well, maybe fear is a little strong. Concern might fit better. Worry that an Americanized version would be a poorly made and watered down mess compared to the original that stole my heart from the first episode and dragged it through the ringer through series 3. (No spoilers will appear in this post, in case some of you aren’t completely up-to-date on your Torchwood watching).
So, yeah, I was concerned. Concerned that they would strip down the elements that, in my opinion, made the show great, until there was nothing left but a few mere scraps. Sadly, American television seems to be under the belief that its viewers don’t want to watch anything that is controversial. Or maybe they are afraid of the few people who will take offense to something. Either way, I find this silly. If someone doesn’t like it then they don’t have to watch. And if enough people are open-minded enough to accept the show and its characters for what they are then the networks can have what they want (namely ratings and money) while the viewers get an exceptional show that makes them think.
Now comes my challenge to the networks. I would imagine that Fox sees Torchwood as a potentially huge cash cow for them. It has grown in popularity recently, mostly due to the crossover it shares with Doctor Who. And who can you thank for that? Why David Tennant and Russell T. Davies, of course. David gave them his good looks and talent which, paired with Davies’ superb writing, made the show a huge hit. It was a big enough explosion to help the show find its way overseas. Now Fox wants to take advantage of this while it can, which I don’t blame it for. My only fear is that it fails to see the elements that make the show what it is, and ultimately end up suffocating it.
What elements am I talking about? Well, the writing is a huge part of it. Davies pen is razor sharp, and his stories have an edginess that should not be touched. The man pays great attention to detail. He also isn’t afraid to write a story that his audience might be disgusted by, believing that their loyalty is strong enough that they will not turn away. The success of Children of Earth proves he is right in his beliefs. If you’ve already seen it, then you know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, then what the hell are you waiting for?!
Go watch.
Right now.
I’ll wait.
Finished?
Good stuff, I know.
Right, moving on then. (But still, no spoilers. Promise.)
Now the issue at hand: controversy. More specifically our opposition to it here. The networks have shown that they may be ready to introduce the token gay character on their shows, but they will not risk making them the lead. And heaven forbid they also be a hero. Because our heroes have to follow a certain mold, and mostly that means being this tough, straight, man. (OK, more women are starting to play the hero too, but the ratio is in no way equal).
So this is my letter to Fox (and anyone else who cares to listen):
Dear Network,
Please do not assume that Americans don’t want to see the same kind of show that the UK has been giving its audience for years now. You may not think we can or want to handle it, but who knows? We might surprise you. Give Russell and everyone else involved a chance to do their thing without any interference. Trust that they know what they are doing. If you do, your faith will likely be rewarded.
I usually try to stay objective in my writing, but this speech has been slowly building for some time now. I only hope the networks dare to prove me wrong and show me that they have more faith in their viewers than I think they do. Here’s hoping.
It seems Muse is appearing all over the world these days. It almost makes a blogger want to start a segment titled “Where in the World is Muse” to keep track of all the festivals they will be playing this year. The most recent addition to the list has been SXSW. The band has announced they will play an intimate show Friday night. For those who don’t have the powers of teleportation to magic themselves to Texas in time for the event, they will get the opportunity to watch on MySpace the next day. This band is amazing live, so if you can make this show you should definitely jump at the chance. And even if all you can do is watch online I still say DO IT. I promise that you will not be disappointed.
St. Patrick’s Day: A time when everyone decides it’s cool to be Irish for a day. (Also, a great excuse for everyone to go drinking in the middle of the week). Bet you didn’t know these facts about the history of the day though. I know I certainly didn’t.
1) The day was originally set as a day of remembrance for St. Patrick, who died on this date more than 1500 years ago.
2) St. Patrick’s color was blue, not green. The use of green became popular in 1798, during the Irish Revolution. It represented the clover, which was the symbol of the revolution.
3) Bars in Ireland were actually, by law, forced to be closed on this day. That is until the law was repealed in 1961.
Bonus Round:
St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish?! That’s right. He was actually born in Britain but moved to Ireland as a missionary.
These facts and more are courtesy of Time Magazine (linked above). Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The Virgin Mobile FreeFest is back, and the line-up so far looks pretty sweet. Bands include Mates of State, Taking Back Sunday, The Hold Steady, The Bravery, and Franz Ferdinand, among others. The event is scheduled for August 30th in Columbia, MD. Admission is free (you heard me) but they ask for a $5 donation to a youth homelessness charity. Good music for cheap AND helping a good cause? Sounds pretty good to me.
Flyleaf is going on their UNite & Fite Tour starting this month and through the beginning of June. The tour will start in the UK and swing by the US. The New York date is scheduled for May 22nd at Webster Hall. Tickets go on sale March 20th.
Kings of Leon, recent winners of Record of the Year, will be touring this summer. The tour kicks off in Atlantic City on June 5th and continues through September 23rd, where it will stop in Dallas. Complete list of dates can be found here.
Desperate Housewives will (finally!) be introducing us to Patrick Logan, the character that is supposed to be after Angie and her family, next week. As I have already mentioned, the role will be played by Torchwood star, John Barrowman. Discussion of this story will continue in the coming weeks.
Finally, don’t forget that 24 is on tonight. You don’t want to miss a minute of this exciting season.
