Reviews
This is an amazing show! I love British dramas and mysteries, so it was a joy to discover this show. Since British actors seem to be in a tight rotation, I thought I would have come across Shaun Evans before, but he will be on my radar now. Very well written and very picturesque with a dash of puzzling make for a great show. I've never watched Inspector Morse, but after watching this prequel, I may check it out and the sequel Inspector Lewis. Thank goodness they are filming season 3 now and hopefully it will air later this year.
To me, this is the perfect show. It is smart, funny, romantic, educational, and never dull. I came across this show late because I'm rarely into American comedies, but I am so glad I happened across an episode. Trust me when I say this show is laugh-out-loud funny, but it's not stupid humor (like all of the FOX comedies). WATCH, I command you!
This show is very similar to New Amsterdam, which the creator claims to have never heard of (Yeah, sure.). I like the set up. I think they introduced the adversary too soon (who I think will turn out to be the male detective). I really like Abe and the flashbacks. The stories aren't strong, but in this day in age, it is very watchable.
Great show! Great acting! Great story! Funny, action-packed, dramatic, suspenseful, and intelligent. A show that doesn't treat me like I'm stupid with over-explanatory dialogue.
I have not read or even heard of the books, but this could've been so much more. Let's see, it's a British TV show set in Oxford featuring witches, vampires, and demons in a modern-day timeline with great actors (Merlin alum, Sherlock alum, Downtown Abbey alum, ER alum, Atlantis alum, and a Line of Duty alum) doing magic. Those are aspects that scream TV gold. So why do I feel that it will fizzle? Three episodes in and I wish the affection between the two leads wasn't revealed so soon. I like tension, it does wonders in writing. I will keep watching until the wheels fall off because this is right up my alley, but I'm confident my rating won't need to be changed.
After 10 out of 13 episodes, I can safely say that everyone needs an Annie in their life. If I had a Sophia in my life, I think I might "accidentally" kill her. *deep breath* GirlBoss is worth watching and it's amusing (not laugh out loud funny, but more than just a humor recognition smile). I don't think I'll be able to forget my new vocabulary word: "deep-dicking". Totally can't wait until I can use it in a conversation. Sidebar: I stand on my desk for you, Netflix.
Here are the positives: the costuming and cinematography are beautiful. The acting is well above par. Despite this, I found myself wishing this series were over sooner than it was. I had it for months and never felt in the mood to watch, and as everything good on TV is on hiatus, I tuned in. Don't mistake me, the series is NOT bad, far from it, it just failed to capture me. To me, good is something that is watchable many times over.
If you want a reason to watch, then here's SIX WORDS: Aidan Turner in a bath towel! As far as the show is concerned, if you watch enough TV then you can figure out mysteries before the end. When a certain actor is cast, because of their profile you know they aren't there for a small role. For example, if Ben Kingsley was on an episode of Law & Order it wouldn't be for a cameo or walk-on, chances are he's the killer. This can be harder with British TV because British actors get around, six degrees of separation would be much easier there. With all that said, this is worth a watch.
Watch this show! If you love period dramas with a romantic strand, then this show is for you. Instead of typing this review, I'd just post and picture of a shirtless Aidan Turner to sway you to watch, but alas I can't (Google it, you won't be disappointed). What started out as a miniseries is now getting a second season, I hope it goes well.
I like the setup of this British reality show, it's better the intentionally-misleading-just-for-ratings setup that most American reality shows follow. Also, this reality show is filmed on the weekend, so contestants can still work or go to school. They have foreknowledge about two of the baking challenges so they can practice during the week and prepare any templates. With that disclaimer out of the way, this is a great show to watch if you bake, want to learn to bake (I'm in this category), or desserts and breads fascinate you. The hosts are funny, the judges are hard to read, and most of the contestants are genuine, non-fame-seeking individuals. This is not a show that you have to start with Season 1 and move forward, the format is simple: Round 1=Signature Bakes; Round 2=Technical Challenge; Round 3=Showstopper Challenge; Round 4=1 Contestant Eliminated based on how well they did across all three challenges. As a result of this easily understood format, it’s okay that PBS started with Season 5. But, here’s a piece of advice as someone who has watched Seasons 3-5: the episode before the winner is announced is a recap of the previous season and discusses what those home bakers are up to a year later. This is only a problem if you plan on watching the other seasons (which I highly recommend) and don't want any spoilers. What I do is skip that episode and save it until I watch the season featuring those contestants. Lastly, the episodes after the winner is announced are where Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry (real names of the judges) show how the contestants should've baked the challenges to be successful.