DOCTOR WHO Season 10 Premiere Event

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' Season Ten Live Premiere Event on Blogcritics.

With assistance from Nick Arganbright

Doctor Who is back for the 10th (!) season premiere, and Fathom Events recently made sure it was done with style. Hosting screenings across the country, Fathom presented the Who franchise’s latest installment on the big screen, with some cool extras. I was lucky enough to attend one such gathering (thanks Fathom!) this week.

Things kicked off with some Doctor Who trivia, which is an enjoyable way to begin. The questions were light and fun, and called to mind fan-favorite Doctors and occurrences from the recent past.
After that, the pilot for Class, the new Doctor Who spin-off, was presented. Fans have been eager for an expansion of the world since the end of Torchwood, and anticipation was high for the new series. Unfortunately, while there are some interesting concepts, and I personally couldn’t get enough of Katherine Kelly’s Miss Quill, Class fails to ignite interest right from the start. It may grow into itself,  but episode one isn’t one that will instantly hook itself a new batch of viewers.

Class presents a diverse group of high school students who end up having to battle aliens and monsters from another realm while attending Coal Hill Academy. Coal Hill is an institution periodically seen in Doctor Who from the beginning, most recently as companion Clara’s place of employment. One of the students in the cast is even an alien himself, the last of his kind hiding on Earth, and I think the idea is a relatively solid one. But the presentation feels artificial, the characters gelling together in a way that doesn’t come across as natural. It’s like the formula for popular young adult shows has been co-opted in an effort to bring in ratings, but they’re trying too hard.

Still, that is only episode one. It may yet grow into itself.

After Class, we got a lovely short about Pearl Mackie “becoming the companion.” Pearl plays the Doctor’s newest traveling buddy, a young, gay, African-American woman named Bill. She (the actress) is charming, and the bonus segment flowed nicely, introducing us to her and getting us psyched up for the episode that followed. I never liked Clara all that much, so am very excited that the new cast member is as instantly likeable as she is.

The Doctor Who 10th season premiere itself does not disappoint in the slightest. It has the whimsical sense of adventure that the best Who episodes do, a genuinely scary villain, real mystery, and not only is new companion Bill magnetic and awesome, but the very amusing Nardole (Matt Lucas) returns as well, presumably to stay for awhile. Plus, a cameo by The Doctor’s most serious foe! What more could anyone want?

The first regular episode in more than fifteen months, we catch up with The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) working as a professor. He meets cafeteria worker Bill (Mackie) when she finds a sentient puddle, whom The Doctor assumes has come to take something from a vault he’s guarding. A girl is killed, and the TARDIS races through the universe and time stream to try to gauge the range of the creature and find a solution to the threat it poses. (The vault, presumably, is a teaser for a future hour.) The episode is called “The Pilot,” which seems tongue-in-cheek for what is essentially yet another reboot of the long-running franchise. I really have no complaints at all about the hour.

I am very grateful that Doctor Who was shown after Class, the opposite of broadcast order on BBC America, where they are currently paired up (though Class aired last year in the UK). Had the spin-off come second, it is quite possible people would be let down. Instead, it’s a light, not terrible, but somewhat flimsy opening act for a stellar main attraction. With Capaldi’s Doctor making a brief cameo in Class, anticipation builds appropriately, and I felt the whole night was very well organized.

In all, I enjoyed Fathom Events, well, event, and I hope they do it again soon. Doctor Who looks fantastic on the big screen, and with the way it all came together, the inclusions that were part of the night, I had a good time and I think others did, too. The only drawback was that attendance was sparse, perhaps because it came a couple of days after the television airing of the premiere, but I would recommend to lovers of the series to go out to the next one. You’ll probably be glad you did.

Not So SUPER FUN NIGHT

Article first published as SUPER FUN NIGHT Review on Seat42.

Contrary to what you may have heard, ABC’s SUPER FUN NIGHT is not the worst new sitcom this fall. That dubious honor belongs to Back In the Game. I would rate SUPER FUN NIGHT as third worst, after Back in the Game and Dads. Unfortunately, given its already tarnished reputation, that does not bode well for it.

The reason SUPER FUN NIGHT is entering the fall premiere season with one hand tied behind its back is that critics panned the “Pilot” when it was released to them earlier this summer. ABC decided to combat that by airing the second episode, “Anything for Love,” as the premiere this week. In preparing for this review, I watched only “Anything for Love,” not the “Pilot.”

When starting with episode two, there is clearly a piece missing. We are dropped into the story without being introduced to the characters, save the lead, Kimmie Boubier (Rebel Wilson, Bridesmaids), whom is pretty easy to get a read on. This hurts most in Kimmie’s relationships with her co-workers, especially Richard (Kevin Bishop, Irina Palm), the boss’s son, whom she likes, because it takes a few scenes with Richard to start to get a read on what their relationship is.  We also aren’t shown the origin of the premise, why Kimmie wants to go out for a SUPER FUN NIGHT in the first place, though it does seem kind of obvious.

Given that it seems the plot would have made more sense if the first episode had been watching before “Anything for Love,” the switch smacks of desperation. Now, if the second episode were a lot funnier than the first, knowing that lots of people already proclaimed the first as terrible, and not wanting to risk losing those first-week viewers because of it, then the move would be a good one. After all, with the bad buzz already building, it is time to get desperate. Sadly, “Anything for Love” is not funny.

Kimmie is surrounded by a bunch of caricatures. Kendall (Kate Jenkinson, The Wedge) is the stereotype villain co-worker, jealous of Kimmie for the things Kimmie doesn’t even notice about herself. Even though Kendall appears to have everything going for her, she tries to steal Kimmie’s spotlight, too. And Kimmie’s friends, Helen-Alice (Liza Lapira, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23) and Marika (Lauren Ash, Lars and the Real Girl), and virtually indistinguishable from one another in this episode, just stock pals who try to cheer Kimie up.

This means that SUPER FUN NIGHT rests completely on Kimmie’s shoulders, and it’s not funny because she’s not funny. The character has been created to be as pathetic as possible, and it’s not fun to watch her be embarrassed. One feels bad for her and wants to help her, not giggle when her dress is pulled off by an elevator and she tries in vain to laugh it off. It’s easy enough to tell she doesn’t find the moment amusing in the slightest, which makes us uncomfortable.

I think the failure is Wilson’s fault, and here’s why. Kimmie is the one character who connects emotionally to the viewers, which makes it impossible to laugh at her misfortune, knowing the pain it causes her, which we can read on Wilson’s expressive face. Were she to play the part of more silly, the show might stand a chance. Not that I’m really advocating for less character development, so the complaint is that Wilson is too good for this material, and doesn’t lower herself to the goofiness of the story, even as she fully commits to the broad, physical comedy.

A scene in “Anything for Love” has Kimmie battling with Kendall to sing at a piano bar, and you will genuinely be frustrated for Kimmie. When she goes big during the song, gaining her confidence, she seems desperate, as she is, and it robs the moment from being entertaining. Were Kimmie only being funny or moving, it might be OK, but by attempting to combine both, neither work. If these bits, the ones in which Kimmie makes us feel, don’t succeed because they try to be funny and fail, the show is doomed just because of its makeup.

Wilson has been stripped of her British accent, which doesn’t seem necessary, given that Richard gets to keep his, and Wilson’s friend from England, Matt Lucas (Little Britain), makes a guest appearance. She does a fine American voice, but it’s still a little weird. I guess the network or someone along the totem pole thought the lead wouldn’t be as relatable to American audiences if they knew she was from another country. It’s a little depressing those that control the show think this, and even more depressing if there’s any truth to the assumption.

With a flawed premise and flat characters, SUPER FUN NIGHT just doesn’t stand a chance. Too bad, as I know Wilson can be funny, and look forward to her next, hopefully successful, vehicle.

SUPER FUN NIGHT premieres Wednesday, October 2^nd at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Community at a Convention

Article first published as Community at a Convention on TheTVKing.

Grade: 82%

In this week's episode of NBC's Community, "Conventions of Space and Time," Troy (Donald Glover), Britta (Gillian Jacobs), and Abed (Danny Pudi) attend a science fiction convention celebrating the guys' favorite television series, Inspector Spacetime. (If you don't know what Inspector Spacetime is, it's Community's take on Doctor Who, without having to worry about copyright issues). But, rather than just having a fun weekend, they are plagued by a test of their friendship and the tag-along of the rest of the study group.

For those waiting for a good Abed / Troy / Britta relationship story, this is the episode for you. Britta is shown to be very supportive of Troy and Abed, and even does her best to get them back together, not caring at all about spending alone time with Troy. She does remain herself, pushing Abed's buttons by championing the one female Inspector, even though she hasn't seen any episodes with said character, and the fans all agree she's horrible, Britta does put Troy's needs first, and is shown to be a loving girlfriend. This dynamic works.

Plus, the opening sequence where Britta does gymnastics outside the apartment so that she can try to fool Abed into thinking she's not sleeping over, is fantastic.

Abed, on the other hand, is ready to distance himself from Troy. I'm not sure this totally makes sense for his character, but we have seen some tension between the two lately as everyone prepares for graduation and moving on with their lives, and Troy finds regular sex. So, Abed befriends a foreigner named Toby (Matt Lucas, Bridesmaids, Little Britain), who shares his obsession with the show, and is far too obviously rude towards Troy. Though I like the e-mail-Nigeria scam joke.

I like that "Conventions of Space and Time" proves to Abed that he needs a Reggie for a companion, not another Inspector, and so Troy comes to Abed's rescue, and Toby is displaced. However, I can't help but thinking the parallels between the Abed/Troy story and the Inspector Spacetime show should be more pronounced. What happens to them at the convention could fit in with an episode of their fictional show, so why not make it feel like one? In the past, I think Community would have tried a little harder to do so.

Jeff (Joel McHale) and Annie (Alison Brie) road trip with the others, intending to ski while the nerds do their thing. But the slopes are shut down, so Jeff immediately wants to go home. Until he meets an attractive woman (Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer) who thinks he is the actor who plays Inspector Spacetime's foe.

Annie, on the other hand, is thrilled when the hotel staff mistakenly call her Mrs. Winger, and takes pleasure in building up a fake marriage between her and Jeff. When the staff sees Jeff flirting with someone else in the lobby, though, it interrupts Jeff's fun.

The fact that Annie's actions do not thoroughly creep Jeff out is a good sign for a relationship between them. He knows who she is, in all of her weirdness, and doesn't judge her for it. Jeff doesn't end up being very upset about losing his chance with the other girl, though I do question why he is flirting with someone else when he and Annie clearly intended to share a hotel room on this trip. Are they dating or not? Casually sleeping together? If it's the latter, why isn't Jeff allowing things to go to the next level, since "Conventions of Space and Time" make it seem that he cares deeply for her, and really likes her in spite of everything.

Last week, I voiced my opinion that Jeff should end up with Britta. This week makes me question that, and now I'm undecided. At least the chemistry between Jeff and Annie is handled well, even if their story isn't.

I give the production team credit for making the Inspector Spacetime foe look just enough like Joel McHale for it to be believable that Jeff is mistaken for him, but not so much so much so that it just looks like a picture of Joel McHale. There's a delicate balance here, and they strike just the right note.

Meanwhile, Pierce (Chevy Chase) is mad at being left out (again), so he drives Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), who is also not invited, up to the convention. Once there, they are pulled into a focus group deciding how an American remake of Inspector Spacetime should be, and while Shirley tries, for the sake of her friends, to preserve what makes the show beloved, Pierce butts in with lots of series-destroying ideas.

It seems a bit of a stretch to give Pierce and Shirley this subplot. It's fine that they get up to the convention, but after doing so, they should be integrated into the main story, rather than being so separated. Or at least whatever they are doing should tie into the rest, which it doesn't really do. The fact that the tag at the end shows that Pierce's ideas have been taken to heart is terrible, and takes a focus group criticism to the extreme. Not at all realistic.

Once more, this episode is a great idea for Community, with some terrific one-liners, just not executed well enough overall. The individual bits are fine and amusing, and the two guest stars are wonderful, but there is a lack of cohesion that makes the installment fall a little flat. Some tweaks, and this would be fantastic. Instead, it's entertaining on the surface, and hollow underneath. It has been this way for three episodes in a row, which makes me pessimistic about the outlook for the rest of the season.

Community airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Come Fly With Me does Episode 1

     Currently airing on BBC America, Come Fly With Me is a mockumentary starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Meant to spoof the British documentaries Airport and Airline, it feels like an aiport-only copy of their previous series Little Britain and Little Britain USA. Lucas and Walliams play a variety of characters, mostly employees at the airport or on the planes, with a few random people thrown in for them to interact with in short bits. Come Fly With Me is narrated by Lindsay Duncan (Alice in Wonderland, 2010; Rome).


     What that basically means is if you like Little Britain, you will like Come Fly With Me. Lucas and Walliams are skilled at disappearing into their characters with a variety of makeup, wigs, and costumes. The personalities they create are mostly distinct. But they also have a very specific brand of humor that is not for everyone. The jokes are delivered in small morsels, with no connecting plot or larger story.

     Among the memorable characters introduced in the first episode are Precious Little (Lucas), who works at the coffee kiosk, and throws away coffee so she can have the day off, Melody Baines (Walliams) and Keeley St Clair (Lucas), the check-in girls for one of the airlines, Simon (Lucas) and Jackie Trent (Walliams), a married pilot team who fly together after Simon cheated, and Hetty Wolf (Lucas), a very old women who claims she is embarking on her first flight, but is just scamming the staff.

     Rudeness is a common trait among the characters. Obviously, Hetty displays it most prominently when getting Moses Beacon (Walliams), the airline liaison, to purchase her things and give up his miles. But Melody and Keeley are also pretty self-centered, fighting over a promotion even though they claim to be best friends. The funniest example of this trait is illustrated by Fearghal O'Farrell (Lucas), one of 10 gay sons in a single family, who sticks a baby in the overhead compartment.

     If you can handle that type of humor, you'll like the show. There are commentaries on airport inefficiencies and security lapses, as one would expect, but those are the rare gems, rather than the norm. Come Fly With Me is more of the same from Lucas and Walliams, and if you want that, it's a great series. If you don't, then don't bother watching.

     Come Fly With Me airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on BBC America.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     Click here to watch streaming episodes of Come Fly With Me.

Article first published as TV Review: Come Fly With Me - "Episode 1" on Blogcritics.

Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert

Last week, Universal released Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert on Blu-ray and DVD. I was lucky enough to get a screener of the Blu-ray, and I have to say, I was highly impressed! I was a little hesitant to watch it, since I have never seen the show, though I've really wanted to for years. Plus, this is a concert, not a full-blown performance of the musical. The singers mostly just stand in front of microphones. But all hesitation was wiped away within minutes of starting the disc.

The picture and sound are flawless. Cameras frequently zoom in on whomever is singing to provide crystal clear closeups of the faces. Even when viewing a wide angle shot, the details visible on this Blu-ray are amazing. The sound is mixed perfectly, allowing you to hear every note of the intricate, rich harmonies with no static or feedback. In a packed arena, I am in awe of just how well this disc looks and sounds. It couldn't have done any better in an empty studio.

The staging is simple. The background fits the piece well, with barrels and big wooden wheels and other period-appropriate things tucked in. Performers mostly enter and exit through a door in the middle, but also use stairs on either side. A row of microphones dominates the front of the stage. Behind and a level up is the orchestra, and beyond them, a choir made up of cast members from several companies. I am more than 500 performers are a part of this, and at times the wall of sound just blew me away. Not to mention the lighting, which is so well done; it is a spectacle unto itself. Whole gun battles are fought with just red and white lights.

 

As mentioned, I haven't seen the show, so I don't know if anything is cut out. The story seems to flow along in linear order, with all of the beloved songs intact, including "One Day More," "I Dreamed a Dream," and "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Alfie Boe is superb as thief-turned-hero Jean Valjean, and Norm Lewis shines as his hunter, Inspector Javert. Both are definitely the heart of the show. While almost everyone is stupendous, these two are sheer delight, and their talent fills the entire O2 space with ease.

Unfortunately, Nick Jonas (yes, that Nick Jonas), though hyped in the press info and on disc cover, is underwhelming. I'm not calling his singing voice into question, but he suffers from camera close-ups, as he really demonstrates no ability to convey emotions with his face, or act in any manner. Also highlighted is Lea Salgona, who has not only won a Tony, but is also the voice behind the singing Disney characters of Mulan and Jasmine. Salgona takes on Fantine, and fares much better than Jonas. Her "I Dreamed a Dream" inspires an immediate second.

Matt Lucas, the famous comedian behind Little Britain and Little Britain USA, among other projects, is clearly a crowd favorite, playing Thenardier, the "Master of the House." While not as strong vocally as the others, his wild turn in a comic part is more than good enough, though I can't decide if his singing style is a choice or of necessity.

The show itself runs a little less than two and a half hours, but don't turn off your player during the applause, as there are still almost thirty minutes left. Four Jean Valjeans, including original Colm Wilkinson, sing together, followed by a 1985 cast-led "One Day More." Then lots of speeches and acknowledgments that, while certainly deserved, drag on, and ending with school children flooding in to join the casts for a rendition of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" that might very well bring you to tears.

The Blu-ray edition is unique only in that there are tons of language options for subtitles. While the DVD offers merely English and Spanish, the Blu-ray adds to that French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Hungarian, Polish, Turkish, Icelandic, Mandarin, and Cantonese! A plethora of choices for people all over the world. Considering the international impact the show has had, I think that is probably a wise option.

Of course, the sound and picture quality are also far superior to the DVD, but the rest of the disc features, well feature, is the same. The lone special is a five-minute series of clips tracing Les Miserables from its inception twenty-five years ago, up through today. It is essentially a trailer for the stage show, with pictures and footage from various productions, as well as staggering statistics boasting to the amount of times and places Les Miserables has been performed, and ending with a clip of Susan Boyle's now infamous performance on British television. Honestly, I was inspired watching just this, before I even put on the film proper.

Amazon is currently selling the Blu-ray for $26.99. Or you can rent it from Amazon's Instant Video service for a mere $3.99. It is worth every penny, and begs for repeat viewings, which is why I recommend the purchase over the rental. Do yourself a favor and check it out.