IDRIS ELBA: NO LIMITS Review

Article first published as IDRIS ELBA: NO LIMITS Review on Seat42F.

Coming to Discovery this week is IDRIS ELBA: NO LIMITS. Starring the English actor Idris Elba, who is known for his role in the Thor movies and for leading the award-winning drama series Luther, NO LIMITS finds Elba going faster than most people will ever go, both on land and in the air. The four-episode program is a reality documentary, showing us the steps that the actor goes through in order to compete with those that do it for a living.

Sometimes show like this recruit a famous face who is a fan of a sport or industry, but has no real-world experience of knowledge, having always only been a casual spectator. IDRIS ELBA: NO LIMITS is different because Elba has been very interested in rally racing, the first challenge he tackles, from a young age. His father, and later he himself, having worked for Ford, he has a history with the automobiles, too. This isn’t the first time he’s gotten behind the wheel to challenge himself, and while the premiere episode finds him getting licensed for rally racing the first time, he doesn’t quite feel like as much of an amateur as most hosts would be.

Elba is supported by some of the most notable names in the game. While these type of experts may sign up to be on a television series, I just can’t believe they’d humor him enough to ride with him if they didn’t have a certain level of confidence in Elba’s skills. Driving this fast is extremely dangerous, and they are putting their lives in Elba’s hands. He also is allowed to compete as part of a team, and I don’t think his teammates would have been anxious to have him if they thought he’d drag down their scores. So there’s a level of authenticity that most reality television often lacks, especially when triumphant, happy endings aren’t guaranteed.

Where some American audiences might struggle is deciphering the differences between rally racing from the UK and our own races stateside. Obviously, the drivers themselves probably aren’t as well known over here, unless you follow British racing. There’s also no attempt to American-ize the jargon, with stats stated in terms of kilometers, not miles.

I don’t think this is super important, as one can see the speeds the cars achieve in the video and the tone lets you know how impressive things are. But if might be a bit of a difficulty for those who really want to know what’s going on and have no frame of reference for it. However, this does feel relatively minor, and if anything, it gives you a chance to learn a few things, expanding your worldview.

There are some interesting graphics in this show. When describing turning, animation with colored arrows get into the science and technique of the competitive driving. There is also a very cool sequence when the car Elba will be driving is taken apart so we can see a bit of the inner workings. I wish there were a few more of these, but the ones they have are well used.

Personally, I am not a fan of cars or racing in the slightest. It holds no interest to me at all, and so I probably won’t watch any further episodes of this show. The show, including the fact that it stars an actor I very much respect and enjoy, did not manage to overcome that aversion, so I don’t recommend it for those who would only tune in because of Elba. But for those that do have an interest in speed sports, I think IDRIS ELBA: NO LIMITS will probably be quite satisfying, and certainly feels better made than a lot of its peers in the genre.

IDRIS ELBA: NO LIMITS airs Mondays at 9/8c.

Sarah Palin's Alaska

     I cannot stand Sarah Palin politically, can't imagine a situation where I would ever vote for her, and in the past have barely tolerated her when she speaks on other subjects. I say that not to upset or offend anyone, least of all the Palins, but so you understand my mind set when I first tuned into her new mega TV hit, Sarah Palin's Alaska. By the way, I also have little patience for reality television. However, in this series, I find something highly entertaining and addictive. I would recommend checking it out.

     Now, it's far from perfect. Sarah certainly hasn't won me over completely. She still can be smarmy, and her offhand insults at the Obamas and the like annoy me. Half of the time her on-camera interviews come across as totally scripted and insincere. It's those times where she's not talking to the camera where she starts to seem like a normal, even likable, person. When her kids are disrespectful, but she holds her tongue, she proves her mettle as a mother. She's tough, but not smothering. If the show is any indication, she seems like a pretty good parent, and someone it would be fun to spend some time with. She isn't afraid to get dirty, is tougher than most, and seems to have a solid, loving marriage.

     That's why her public persona up to this point, quite the opposite in a negative way, has become more baffling than hated to me. I'm sure she'd never invite me to join her up in her home state for some fun, but if the chance ever arose, I'd jump at it, and likely enjoy myself quite a bit. The family appears to be having so much fun every week, it's easy to imagine joining them.

     The rest of the Palin family is portrayed just fine. Todd doesn't talk much, but when he does, you see a supportive, hard working family man, which was the image I already had of him. Sure, her daughters are a bit mouthy every once in awhile, but what teenage girl isn't? They certainly are better than many I have encountered. For the most part, they seem pretty grounded and sweet, raised quite well by their parents. That may be a surprise to anyone who views Sarah as ignoring her family for the sake of career, as quite the opposite appears to be true. Sarah's father cracks me up, and seems like a warm-hearted, generous man. None of her relations and in-laws come across in anything but a positive light.

     But the Palins aren't the biggest draw of the show for me. The hook is that you get to see the beautiful state of Alaska, and all it has to offer. In last night's episode, the family went whitewater rafting, and then Sarah took Piper to see some sled dogs. My wife would have loved that trip! Huskies are her favorite breed of dog. I won't say it was better than any other episode, as they all come across with about the same quality, but it's nice to see one more piece of that semi-wilderness every week.

     New episodes are presented Sunday nights on TLC, and reruns air frequently. Even if you're not a Palin fan, check it out. You might be surprised at how easy it is to watch.


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Article first published as TV Review: Sarah Palin's Alaska on Blogcritics.

Project Run to L.A.

     Project Runway concluded its sixth season this past Thursday.  This was the first season on Lifetime, after a five year run on Bravo.  It was also the first season set in Los Angeles, the previous five having taken place in New York.  Little about the show changed in its new setting.  Though the contestants were no longer at the Parsons School of Design, the fabulous Tim Gunn was still there to guide them along, offering them his advice and wisdom.  There were perhaps a few more celebrities stopping by, and the two popular judges Nina Garcia and Michael  Kors were unfortunately there a little less, though of course they were present at the finale.  Other than that, it seemed to be business as usual on the actual show.  There was a spinoff series as well this year, Models of the Runway, that showed what happened to the models between runway shows.  It was uninteresting and certainly unneeded, especially the final episode, which featured flashbacks from the season.  This replaced a better idea, which was a reunion show that brought back the designers.

     The talent this season was fierce.  While inventiveness had been prevalent in the past, it was frequently overshadowed by the drama, in fighting in the work room.  There was still a bit of drama this year, but not as much.  Irina, the winner, was a bit harsh at times, and there were a couple of tear eruptions during the runway shows, but for the most part, the talent shined.  As a fan since the beginning, the drama has always been my favorite part, but the show still managed to reel me in without as much of it.  What was truly inexplicable, though, was that Christopher Straub made it to the Top Five.  He placed at the bottom week after week, and yet he kept hanging on.  Thankfully, he did not get to show at Fashion Week in Bryant Park.

     The top three were Irina Shabayeva, Carol Hannah Whitfield, and Althea Harper.  Though each presented a fantastic collection, the judges were a bit harder on them in the final show than they usually are, perhaps because expectations of these three were so high.  Unfortunately, Irina won the day.  Supporters of Irina will note that she frequently placed in the top, and had consistently good designs week after week.  And I don't put any stock in the rumors of Althea copying off of Irina, especially in the finale.  They were states apart working on those collections.  The real shame is Carol Hannah, though.  She was the sweetest of the contestants, and battling her illness in the final days leading up to the runway show, she definitely had viewers rooting for her.  Many of us are terribly disappointed at her third place finish.  True, her collection did not tie together as well as the others, but for goodness sakes, she actually used color!  Irina's was predominantly black!

     This past year and a half, Project Runway has been mired in legal battles, as networks fought over who would air it.  Because of that, fans of the show had to wait over a year between the completion of season five and the start of this most recent one.  The good news to come out of all of that fighting, and the fact that Runway filmed this season quite awhile ago, is that TV's best reality show will be returning in two short months!  Season seven premieres in January on Lifetime.