Canadutch » TV

TV Review: The Big C

Breigh — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:36:54 +0000

When I first heard about Showtime’s new show The Big C last year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew was that it was a show about Cancer, it sounded like a Reality show that would hit way too close to home for me. Cancer? Really? Do they have to go there?

Having lost so many people I love to Cancer, I couldn’t stand the thought of it being made light of at all. I had images in my head of these people being exploited for money, possibly doing this Reality TV show to make money to leave their families and it horrified me. But I was too curious to leave it alone, so I downloaded the first episode blindly, ready to face whatever was waiting for me.

First, a feeling of relief washed over me as I realized it wasn’t Reality TV at all. The fact that it was on Showtime should have been my first clue that rather than reality, it was an edgy, somewhat controversial comedy which looks at Cancer from all different angles.

Yes, you heard me, I said it! A comedy about Cancer. It can be done! Showtime has proven that with this amazing program that I haven’t been able to stop watching since that first episode. Here’s a preview:

What a wonderful, wonderful show…honestly, I’m completely hooked.

It also has an amazing cast and I don’t think anyone could have done better when it came to choosing the people to play each of the roles. My hat’s off to the casting department for this one.

First there’s Laura Linney in the role of The Big C herself, Cathy Jamison. The lead role in the story, Cathy is a teacher, wife and mother who is diagnosed with stage IV melanoma. The story follows her through her mental process after her diagnosis, how it causes her to see life differently, react to her family differently and just generally grab life (and the odd handyman) by the balls!

There is also a certain humor that comes into play here. Not the kind of humor that I think Cancer patients would be offended by, and obviously that is something I can only assume having not had cancer myself… but rather, the sort of comedy that would have them shaking their heads and laughing. I think what Linney brings to the character is something a lot of real Cancer patients could relate to and see the humor in it themselves. I’m sure many of them will have gone through the same emotions she has, and I can only imagine many of them have felt like doing the very same thing she does during her journey of trying to come to grips with the hand life has dealt her.

She is a beautiful woman, an incredibly talented actress and she brings Cathy to life in a way that has us all cheering for her, laughing with and at her and crying for her all at the same time. I am so attached to this character, it almost frightens me where the story is going to take her. That is what tells me that the writing and acting in this show are so great, because I am invested.

As much as I love Laura Linney and the entire premise of this show, I can’t deny that my very favorite part of the show is Oliver Platt and his character of Cathy’s husband, Paul Jamison.

It’s odd, because to me Oliver Platt is Paul Jamison, and Paul Jamison is Oliver Platt. It’s like this role was created for him, and who knows, maybe it was. I don’t think there is a role I haven’t loved him in, but the waves of sadness, joy and insanity that are needed to play Cathy’s husband couldn’t be done this well by anyone else.

He is a brilliant actor, as is obvious from all his work, but he makes Paul special! Even when he’s doing things that make us groan and smack ourselves in the forehead, even when he’s being completely unreasonable… we still love him because that’s just the kind of character and actor that he is. He makes it impossible to be angry with him and he is so quirky and loveable that you can’t help but forgive him for all his many, many flaws. What endears me to him most is his undying love for Cathy. No matter what crazy lengths her coping mechanisms cause her to go to, and even though there are times he feels like walking away forever, in the end he stands by her through thick and thin.

These two particular actors in these two particular roles are what make this show. Without them, it couldn’t possibly be the same. It’s a special combination, and unlikely combination when you first look at it… but somehow it works. That odd looking jigsaw puzzle of characteristics these two actors have come together in a magical way that you’d never expect.

There is also a pretty phenomenal supporting cast.

Phyllis Somerville, whom I’d never heard of previously, plays Cathy’s sarcastic, crotchety neighbour, Marlene.

Living across the street in a run down, unloved house, Marlene is living a solitary and lonely life after the death of her husband (also to Cancer). She initially wants nothing to do with Cathy but over time she gives in and they form a friendship.

She is the first person Cathy tells about her illness, but only because Marlene figures it out for herself. She has a theory that dogs can smell cancer and after her dog won’t leave Cathy alone, she comes to the conclusion on her own.

Marlene doesn’t let Cathy get away with anything, she calls her on all her antics and always tells her like it is. I think Cathy appreciates the fact that the Cancer doesn’t make Marlene treat her with kid gloves. She also quickly realizes that Marlene has problems of her own, as she is starting to show signs of memory loss. This leads to other circumstances I won’t mention, as I don’t want to spoil anything for readers who haven’t seen the show yet.

Another great addition to the cast is Gabourey Sidibe who plays one of Cathy’s high school students. A fighty, smartass student that Cathy takes a special interest in by offering her cash rewards for losing weight.

I seem to recall Howard Stern making comments to the affect that Gabourey would never get any more work after her role in Precious, due to her size and there not being any roles out there for her. Well, I think it’s safe to say that she is making him eat those words.
The role she plays in The Big C could not be more different than her character in Precious. Andrea Jackson is bubbly, bright and doesn’t take crap from anyone, which is pretty much the opposite of her role as the sullen, beaten down Precious. She sounds more like a valley girl than a girl from the hood and she has big dreams and a big attitude.

Much like Marlene, she doesn’t let Cathy get away with anything either. She doesn’t pity her for having Cancer and doesn’t allow Cathy to pity her either. While there is a certain amount of insecurity that comes with being young and overweight, her carefree and independent nature is part of what draws Cathy to her.

It took me a while to warm up to John Benjamin Hickey’s character, Sean Tolkey, Cathy’s bi-polar brother. He’s a hardcore environmentalist who prefers to live on the streets, eat out of garbage cans and preach loudly about all that is wrong in the world.

In the beginning of the show, Cathy and Sean have a very distant relationship and it is only after her diagnosis that she realizes it and tries to create a stronger bond between them. He doesn’t make this easy for her, just by being who he is, but she doesn’t give up easily.

There are a lot of highs and lows with Sean throughout this story so far, not just in his relationship with Cathy, but in other relationships and their trying to deal with his mental illness.

We sometimes get glimpses of what Sean could be, and that makes us feel sort of sad. With him not being a fan of his medication he unfortunately never stays on them very long. While we fall in love with him when he is ‘stable’ Sean, some of that gets ripped away when he goes off his medication and starts behaving in ways that cause his family to worry about him. He can sometimes come across as being very selfish, but you can’t blame him for that really… Like with his fellow cast mates, John Benjamin Hickey does a great job with his character. Even when I look at this photo I don’t see the actor, I just see Sean in a suit.

Hugh Dancy came into the story somewhat later than the rest, after Cathy and Paul hit him with their car on the way to the hospital. He didn’t leave them with the best first impression, coming off somewhat cocky and rude, but when Cathy realizes that he has the same condition and they are in the same clinical trial, they become fast friends.

He teaches Cathy a lot about herself, that she is more than just her illness and how important it is for he to live her life to the fullest. There is an attraction there on her side, even though she would never do anything about it, but it’s pointless as he turns out to be gay.

He is a lovely, although sometimes frustrating, character. He had been dealing with Cancer a lot longer than Cathy so while she was still in the stage where she wanted to try everything possible and fight for all she is worth, he had reached a stage of acceptance that she wasn’t ready for yet. So while they had a lot in common in regards to their actual illness, they were in quite different places when it came to dealing with it. Their relationship was a touching example of how two people can become great friends in spite of all their glaring differences.

There are other smaller roles that people played, for example Idris Elba had a short stint as a fling of Cathy’s (remember what I said about grabbing life by the balls??) and Ried Scott as Cathy’s first very cute but somewhat inappropriate oncologist. Also Alan Alda (our old friend from M*A*S*H) joins the cast as the new doctor in charge of Cathy’s clinical trial.

As much as I love this show, there are a few things I hate about it as well, mostly characters that irritate me.

Cynthia Nixon came very close to ruining this show for me a number of times. As a huge fan of Sex and the City, her role of Miranda Hobbs was one that grated my nerves something fierce. It’s possible that I just hate this actress and she is doomed to ruin any role she plays for me, but perhaps that is why she was cast to play Rebecca in the first place. I think the character was meant to be hated by the masses to some degree, so in that sense, she was cast perfectly.

On the other hand, she could have played the most wonderful and lovely friend possible and I may still have despised her simply for the actress who played her. I will really never know until I see her in a role where she doesn’t play a whiney, shrill, self-involved pain in the arse.

Thankfully, her time on the show (at least for now) has come to an end. I’m hoping there is a reason for her exit and that the execs realized that she was just too cringe worthy to keep around and we will not see Rebecca anymore in the future. I would happily never see Rebecca, or Cynthia Nixon, ever again…

A slightly less irritating example is Gabriel Basso as Cathy’s son, Adam. I can’t say I hate this character or the actor himself, but I just find myself sighing a lot and wishing he was different.

Maybe they have the child dealing with Cancer thing down pretty well, I don’t know. I just find that while there is a fair bit of story given to Adam, that he’s lacking somehow. Yes, he has his moments where he acts out or shows that he’s screwed up by the fact that his mother has cancer, but there’s no real depth there. Even that took a long time to happen, for ages he just did nothing. He was just a space filler, or at least that’s what it felt like.

Other than the usual teenage boy stuff, like farting all the damn time, and the things he does for attention… he just feels hollow.
There were a few moments where I saw glimpses of maturity and depth, for example when he was dealing with Marlene or at Poppy’s reunion, but it wasn’t enough somehow. I need more from this character that I’m not getting and it’s not something I can put my finger on. Maybe it’s the actor who doesn’t bring him to life and make him real in a way I need or maybe it’s the writing, I’m honestly not sure. I don’t dislike him to the point of wanting him killed off… I just want MORE, somehow, just MORE.

Speaking of killing off!! Can we please get some death for Parker Posey and her character Poppy?

Poppy is a girl, no… a WOMAN, a grown woman, like 38 years old grown… that Adam meets in a chat room for children of parents with Cancer. She doesn’t tell Adam her real age, leaving him to find out when he first meets her face to face. She clearly has issues, which is visible by the way she dresses, the fact that at almost 40 years old she still speaks like a 13 year old boy and just her general demeanor. Not to mention the fact that she is hanging around with a teenage boy!

I don’t see the purpose of this character at all. Is she just there as another example of Adam’s poor decision making? Is the fact that he sympathizes with her after all the lies she’s told supposed to make us see the depth we crave in him? I am at a loss.

Like with Cynthia Nixon, I am not a Parker Posey fan, so the fact that she is playing a character I can’t stand is not surprising. Again, perhaps she was put in that role for that very reason, maybe the casting execs find Parker Posey annoying too and thought she’d be perfect for this role. In that case, well done! Now please, write her off, I’m begging you.

Even the fact that a few of the characters make me want to stab knitting needles into my ears does not change the fact that I am completely in love with this show. I love the way they take something so serious and bring light to it without disrespecting it.

I must warn you though, this is definitely not something you want to watch with your children, as I said… edgy. By edgy I mean sexual and vulgar at times, which also means it’s full of awesome.

I love the way they give us a glimpse into what it’s like to have Cancer and deal with it. For example, the times where she does get upset because people don’t get it, always makes me think back to the time I was sitting at my grandmother’s kitchen table when an envelope shot under the door. Her neighbour had slipped a get well card under the door with some money in it. It was the first and only time I had seen my grandmother ever break down or show emotion about her situation. She slammed her fist on the table, cried out that MONEY CANNOT BUY MY HEALTH BACK and sobbed. It was heartbreaking for me to watch because she was such a strong woman and in my young mind, I was certain that Cancer was no match for her.

I was wrong. I had no idea what she was up against and until that day never knew how frightened and sad she was behind the brave face she kept putting on for the rest of us.

I see that in Cathy as well, how she tries to go about her daily life, tries to be strong for herself and her family but with the nagging fear always in the back of her mind.

Ok, so The Big C is still fiction and not ever Cancer patient is going to have a crazy homeless brother or a funny, bitchy neighbour with Alzheimer’s… this IS TV after all. But…It’s damn good TV and as long as you can take it for what it is, enjoy Cathy, her situation and the people surrounding her, I think you could love this show just as much as I do.

Have you been watching The Big C too? If so, what do you think of it?

If not, what the heck are you waiting for?

Switched at Birth – Watch it!

Breigh — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 09:52:59 +0000

Below is a trailer for a new ABC Family show called Switched at Birth. It is still in its first season but I’m crazy insane over it already. I won’t get into who is in it or what it’s about because if you clicked play on the video you already know all that. So I’m just going to tell you it’s awesome and if you haven’t been watching it already, please do so.. you won’t regret it!

For those of you who don’t know how to use Bit Torrent or don’t live in North America where you can get easy access, you can watch the first few episodes on YouTube. Here is the first part of the first episode… check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

You can find the other parts and other episodes here, at least for now. I can’t guarantee it’s going to stay up, YouTube can be funny about that stuff, you know… copyrights and all.

*Backtrack edit after theme switch*

Just want to explain the stars rating now that I have the review capability. I gave this a 4.5 for storyline because I love it, but I don’t feel right giving it a perfect score just because I’m not too happy with how one bit of the storyline went in the end of the first season. It wasn’t so bad as to make it lose more than a half a point, and I won’t say what it is because I don’t want to spoil! For cast I also gave it a 4.5 because I really am not a fan of Bay’s brother. All I see is the weird kid who looked like Lex Luthor from Smallville… and I hate his hair. Fickle, I know. I gave it 4 stars for life expectancy because I THINK it should go on for a while but you really never know what the networks are going to do.

This is Some Politics I Can Get Behind!

Breigh — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 06:29:10 +0000

A few years ago I plowed through the entire series of The Wire and absolutely loved it. I tried to get my husband to watch it with me but he can be quite difficult when it comes to trying to nail him down to get him to watch a show. There are very few that can capture and keep hold of his attention.

It wasn’t until we were on holiday last year that his father and stepmom told him that they watched it and loved it that he’d actually consider giving it a go. Even then, it still took me months to get him to settle down and watch an episode.

For the past few weeks he has been completely hooked, as I knew he would be. We’ve got a man here who would usually watch only one show after dinner and then scurry off back to his Lego Lair, sitting for entire evenings trying to squeeze in as many episodes as he can before bed.

Yes, it’s that good.

An official critics promo:

A fan made promo that shows what it’s about really well too:

I could post 100 videos here and there’s no way it would even come close to showing just how amazingly real and captivating this show is. Yeah, it’s about drug dealers and cops but it’s not like your usual American Cop show where the cops are the good guys, the drug dealers are the bad guys and it’s all black and white. This show is a thousand shades of grey. There are good and bad guys on both sides…

The cops are doing what they think is right, but they are human and are flawed. The drug dealers are doing what they feel they need to do to survive and some of them are even quite endearing. It makes you think, which a lot of these types of shows don’t do.

Today I read an interesting article about the Attorney General ordering more episodes of The Wire.

Sometimes government officials draw fire for potentially overstepping their authority — but Attorney General Eric Holder will probably get some praise for ordering the writers of the critically-acclaimed television series HBO “The Wire” to come up with more episodes or a movie.

The gritty fictional series, which ran five seasons on HBO, showed the raw side of Baltimore as it endured hundreds of murders annually and a rampant drug scene. The show focused on the cash-strapped city police trying to root out crime as well as the drug dealers fighting for turf, using children to run their corners and the related effects on the city.

On Tuesday three of the actors, Wendell Pierce (“Bunk”), Sonja Sohn (“Kima”) and Jim True-Frost (“Prez”), dropped by the Justice Department to join Holder in trying to draw attention to the issue of protecting children from drug abuse and exploitation.

But Holder could not resist a plea — well really an order — to the writers David Simon and Ed Burns for more.

“I want to speak directly to Mr. Burns and Mr. Simon: Do another season of ‘The Wire’,” Holder said, drawing laughter and applause from the audience. “That’s actually at a minimum. … If you don’t do a season, do a movie. We’ve done HBO movies, this is a series that deserves a movie. I want another season or I want a movie. I have a lot of power Mr. Burns and Mr. Simon.”

Wendell “Bunk” Pierce, who is now on the latest HBO hit “Treme”, chimed in with a “hear hear.”

As I said, this is some politics I could really get behind! Perhaps it was a bit tongue in cheek, I don’t know… but I think there’s a lot to be learned by watching a show like this. Perhaps it’s just the TV junkie in me talking though. I mean, it beats those lame after school specials, right?

I can’t imagine they will ever bring this show back to life, but if they ever did I’d be front and center to catch up with McNulty and the gang!

They just better bring back this guy… somehow.

The Wire just ain’t The Wire without Omar!

This is my favorite scene with him so far… there is nobody else in the world that can speak about themselves in the 3rd person and just make me love them more.

OMAR LISTENIN’…

My Television Addiction

Breigh — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:01:13 +0000

I am the first to admit that I have a serious television addiction. I make myself feel better by thinking things like hey, at least I don’t smoke crack!

It works pretty well.

People often ask how I find the time to watch all the shows I do. It’s pretty easy really…

Firstly, I download every show I watch. With the exception of the movie channels, Discovery and National Geographic I never watch anything on our real time TV. It all gets watched on my laptop or via USB on the TV.

The upside to downloading everything is that I can choose when and where I watch it. The shows sit there waiting for me to get around to watching them, rather than me planning my day around what is on.

I quickly took this photo this evening when I realized I’d forgotten my Project 365 photo for the day. This is a typical scenario in my house. My laptop set up with a TV show (in this case it was NCIS) while I fold the laundry.

I HATE folding laundry. I’m pretty sure everyone does. Why not watch something I like to help pass the time?

I know a lot of people don’t like TV, some don’t watch it at all or even own one. Whatever. To each their own. I happen to love it in all it’s forms… action, comedy, drama, reality TV… I love it all. Like I said, there are worse things I could be into, right?

Feel free to just agree with me.

Speaking of my laptop, it’s still working!! Well, I shouldn’t say still like it hadn’t broken down again, because it did. The day after it died on me I put it to sleep while I went to the hospital and when I came home it was dead again.

Xander did the hairdryer thing again and it fixed it. So now I’m afraid to turn it off or put it to sleep. Whatever it is that cools down, it makes my laptop not work. We are pretty sure that replacing the video card will fix it, but that itself is 200 euro. If it turns out to NOT be just the video card we’d be out 200 euro that could have gone towards a new laptop.

Although… no new laptop would live up to Xena (that’s what we call her). She’s big and tough, with a 20.5 inch monitor and lots of space for me to do all sorts of things at once.

It will be a sad day in the Soldaat household when I lose her. A sad day indeed!

30 Days of Truth: Day 16

Breigh — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 20:45:19 +0000

Oh this is going to be a long list. There are a lot of things and people I could most definitely live without!!

I could live without the rainy, dreary winter weather here in the Netherlands.

Sammi and Ronnie from Jersey Shore. I will admit to watching it when I’ve run out of other shows, and I cannot stand these two. I don’t know how the rest haven’t drowned them in the hot tub yet.

My period. Seriously, I’ve had almost 300 of them already, enough is enough.

Justin Bieber. I’m SO over this kid, even if he IS Canadian.

People who are passive aggressive, give thinly veiled insults on Facebook but face to face act so sweet that sugar wouldn’t melt in their mouth… and are stupid enough to think I can’t see through it. Yes I know this is somewhat passive aggressive too, I’m just trying to speak their language!

Screw you, I’m not looking for photos of those. The sooner people stop showing them, the better.

This bad boy. If you don’t know what it is already, you don’t want to… and I’m not going to tell you.

Housework, I could definitely live without housework. In fact, I hate it so much I’d almost even consider polygamy, just so I can be first wife and make second wife do all the housework.

This ignorant douchebag.

There are so many things that irritate me about this show, even more than I listed on that post way back when. Even Sue Sylvester wasn’t able to save it for me.

The Kardashians. Where the hell did they come from and why should I give a shit about them? Go away and stop taking up space where I want to read about REAL celebrities, thx.

Pickles. Not a fan.

Cold sores. Haven’t had one in ages (knock wood) but I know when I do ever get one again, it will be at the worst time possible. Zovirax is my friend.

Unexpectedly scary videos. I could definitely live without those. You know the ones. Someone sends you a link telling you to read along with something or to watch something closely and then WHAMMO!!!!! something scary and screeching pops onto the screen suddenly, scaring the shit out of you. I enjoy scary movies and thrillers, when I KNOW they are scary. When people trick me into being startled is when they take their lives in their hands. Assholes.

Oh man this list could go on for days, so I’m going to stop here. Let’s just say, there are a lot of people and things I’d gladly wipe from the universe if given the choice!

30 Days of Truth: Day 12

Breigh — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:30:27 +0000

There is one thing I never get complimented on and I have to be honest about this, it really hurts! Not only have they not complimented me on it but they’ve gone so far as to insult me about it! Cruel, insensitive bastards!

Nobody has ever complimented me on my singing, and lemme tell ya, I can croon along with the best of them! Whether I’m in the shower, the car or singing along with my favorite TV show openings you can bet your ass I’m there belting out a tune.

~~ I Don’t wanna be anything other than what I’ve been tryin’a be latelaaaaaay… ~~

~~ Our whole universe was in a hot dense state then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. ~~

~~ If you’re out on the road feelin’ lonely and so coooold all you have to do is call my name and I’ll be there on the next train… ~~

It sounds better live, trust me.

I can also often be found crooning along with my own rendition of timeless classics like Under the Sea, Out On The Mira, There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea and The Rodeo Song. I even know all the words!

Yet, throughout my lifetime I’ve been met with comments like…

Tammy, you don’t have to sing so high and through your nose, sing normally! — My father, when I was age something below 10.

Hrmm, I think I hear some dogs barking. — My husband, numerous times over the past 11 years.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! Tammy Canavan ALMOST live! — My cousin, 2007 at a house party in Canada.

Honestly, it cuts me deep… how can they not recognize my undeniable talent?

Clearly they are all hard of hearing, because I am AWESOME.

30 Days of Truth: Day 7

Breigh — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:23:25 +0000

Shit, this is an easy one… my husband. I’ve spoken on here loads of times about how wonderful he is and all the things I love about him. To list it all again would just be repeating myself, although I’m sure he wouldn’t mind… he really digs the compliments and ego stroking.

He knows he is what I live for and how important he is to me, so do all the other important people in my life. There are a lot of people who make my life worth living… my friends and my family mostly, they mean the world to me. Life would not be worth living without them in it.

Also…

Ian Somerhalder aka Damon from The Vampire Diaries. Oh yessss… he makes life worth living for, am I right girls?! God he is sooooo hottttttt…. Edward Who? TEAM DAMON!

Ricky Gervais … dude, humor is sexy and he’s got lots of it! He had me squealing with laughter during the Golden Globes. This guy is funny and he makes life a little more worth living.

Cal Lightman! No, not Tim Roth… because I don’t know much about him, but his character Cal Lightman on Lie to Me rocks my FRICKIN socks! He is living proof of the theory that you can take any man, attractive or not, give him a cocky attitude and women everywhere will want him. I do! I want him to tie me down and tell me if I’m lying.

P!nk because she’s cool, she’s awesome, she is what she is and she will never apologize to anyone for it. I love her music! Every time I see this video I tear up because it reminds me of when I saw her in concert back in 2009 and that was such an amazing night. Plus, that entire Glitter in the Air performance is breathtaking.

James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. Oh sweet baby Jesus. He is the perfect example of how someone could fall in love with a fictional character. He’s from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon which I am reading at the moment. I am on book three and I am just devouring them. A description of Jamie from Wikipedia: A strapping young Scottish redhead with a complicated past and a disarming sense of humor. Jamie is intelligent, principled, and by 18th century standards, educated and worldly.
He has kept me up far too late many an evening lately…

Oh, and how about that awesome fan art?! It’s just how I imagine him. Click the photo for the artist’s website.

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS LIZARD SPOCK! Sheldon Cooper makes everyone’s lives a little more worth living for. Bazinga!

British vs American TV Series – Coupling

Breigh — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:35:51 +0000

I have a thorn in my side and I’m going to blog about it. An entire series on why British TV rocks my socks and why Americans need to stop trying to recreate it.

There’s something about British TV that is so great, great in an entirely different way to anything we watch on American television. It’s hard to describe… the humor is different, it’s more dry and requires a bit more brain power to pick up on. I guess it’s not as in your face and obvious as a lot of US shows. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of American TV I enjoy, but I just despise when they try to go out of their element and try to recreate something that they are just incapable of pulling off.

I love that the characters are more real. They live in real houses, have real friends and wear real clothes. They don’t all live in fancy apartments or mansions, they don’t all have money and their storylines aren’t as outlandish and unrealistic. It’s easier to relate to the characters on British TV because they are more like the average Joe, rather than seeming a world away from the viewers.

This irritation was kicked off recently when I saw an ad on Facebook boasting about Showtime’s Original Series, Shameless. Original series my ass! This has been going on for NINE seasons in the UK, and much better too, I might add! I will talk about Shameless later though.

I know that a lot of people on the other side of the pond don’t even realize that some of these shows were happening before they came into existence there, and that’s sad, because the originals are SO much better. I think the most glaring example of this is Coupling.

The original series, and by that I mean the first one that actually existed, was in the UK, and it was fantastic, the American version. Not so much.

Let’s compare…

Well, that just says it all, doesn’t it? There is no competition really…

I watched only one episode of the US version of Coupling and it was painful. Very very painful. Mostly because of Jeff. In the UK version he pretty much makes the show. Anyone I’ve ever spoken to agrees that he is by far the best part of the series, because he’s funny and awkward in a way that none of us have ever seen in a television character before. Here’s one example…

Now try to imagine some random American douchy actor trying to pull this off, because that’s pretty much what happened. It just does NOT work! Without the OJ (Original Jeff) there is no way this show can be remade. The program also relies heavily on a certain type of humor that also cannot be Americanized.

Ok, I won’t try to explain it any further, look for yourself…

See what I mean?

In some cases I think the American versions of British shows do ok because the American viewing audience has never experienced the real thing, but I don’t think that was the case with Coupling. Even having never seen the British version, people still thought it sucked because I don’t think it even lasted an entire season.

THANK GOD FOR THAT.

If you’ve never heard of this show and have never watched it, search high and low until you find it. The only way I can describe it is that it’s like Friends, only… better.

If you use BitTorrent you can download all four seasons here.

If you don’t use BitTorrent, umm, why not? No seriously, you can watch it online here.

If you use newsgroups, you’re on your own I don’t know how to use those.

Baze Before Life Unexpected

Breigh — Thu, 27 May 2010 06:25:04 +0000

Before you click play, be warned, there is swearing and sexual content. If you are a prude or are easily offended, time to move along.

Now that I got the disclaimer out of the way… BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *Deep Breath* TEEEEEEHEHEHEHE *Doubles over* Oh my god, I’m never going to look at Baze the same again. Neverrrr, in my mind he’ll always be dry humping a mailbox.

I’m a HUGE fan of the new show Life Unexpected and am currently hoping and praying that it doesn’t get canceled. I’m praying, people… and I’m not even religious. That will tell you how much I love this show.

Here’s a trailer for my expat homies here in the Netherlands who haven’t heard of this show yet. I got your back!

See? I told you it was awesome, have you started the downloads yet? If you are torrently challenged here is a link where you can watch it streaming online. Now you have no excuses.

Anyway, Baze is one of my favorite parts, one of many favorite parts mind you, but possibly my most favorite.

How will I ever look at him the same after this?

How will I ever look at a spoon the same after this?

Hello Oprah? Have I Got A Show For You!

Breigh — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:46:35 +0000

Remember years ago when I posted about Fox News trashing the Netherlands? Then later about the Dutchie’s response to the ridiculous babblings of Bill O’Reilly? I don’t think it’s any secret that I think Bill O’Reilly is a complete douche, nor do I think it’s an unpopular opinion. He’s a blow hard who hears nothing but his own voice, and it infuriates me when he mouths off about the Netherlands.

Today I watched the above video and the first thing I thought was, SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE has got to get this guy on a show to face off with Bill O’Reilly! That is, if Bill would let him get a word in edgewise. From what I can tell, his tactic is to just speak over and interrupt anyone who happens to make an ounce of sense.

Like how he tried to squash the points this teenager made when standing up to Bill about his own hypocrisy. Not that it worked, anyone could see that this kid does his homework.

Anyway, I think Judge Gray makes some very valid points in regards to drugs and how to properly deal with them, marijuana especially. In the end of the video he comments on the Netherlands and how they’ve dealt with it over here, quoting the Minister of Health of the Netherlands as saying “We have succeeded in making pot boring”. It’s true! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, and anyone who lives here will agree: It’s not the Dutch that are keeping the coffee shops in business here, it’s the tourists.

I think seeing this guy and Bill O’Reilly together somewhere on neutral ground would be fantastic. Not only would Bill be matched (who are we kidding, far outweighed) in intelligence and knowledge of the actual facts, but I don’t think Judge Gray is someone who would allow himself to be bullied.

Such a pity it will never happen. I should write a letter to Oprah… or, since this is Bill O’Reilly we’re talking about, perhaps I should contact Jerry Springer instead.

By the way, if you enjoy watching Bill get owned as much as I do, there is an entire playlist dedicated to it on YouTube.