Change Your Image
Wayward_Explorer
Reviews
Spooks (2002)
Fantastic, like I thought it would be...
The first episode of the first series aired in Australia on Friday 30th May, 2003; and I was riveted. I swear, people, believe "The Age" Green Guide - it told me this show was great, and worth a look... and even though I've only seen the first ep, I can tell this show has potential.
I'm so used to saying "they can't really do that," I find it quite easy to suspend my usual disbelief, probably explaining why I enjoyed this so damn much. Mind you, it requires much less suspension-of- disbelief than 24, and for that I'm thankful. I find the odd American thrown in quite amusing, and for once it is the American accents that sound strange and out of place (I just hope Tom can have an assistant visiting from Australia!). I've seen one episode, and I already love this show to bits. Support it, Aussies! My sincere congratulations to the cast and crew for a fantastic ride. -- WE
Dark Angel: Pilot (2000)
More to the point, where is Season Three?
A pity that whenever a show or movie has the words "Cult Status" whispered nearby that many Networks deign it is their right to remove it from the lineup. Dark Angel had a fantastic idea, talented writers and actors (which was which and who was who could be debated 'til the cows come home) and it had devoted fans. Who to this day, still want it to come back.
Sure enough, Season Two brought with it new writers, new ideas and new characters: some for the better... and some not. Some fans drifted away. Some fans became more enthralled than ever; I have to admit I was one of them.
FOX's decision to cancel the show at the end of Season Two was a disappointment to fans around the world. That it was cancelled "because money had to be freed up" to produce the Joss Whedon show "Firefly" was bad enough, that Firefly lasted only a year was a second kick in the guts for Dark Angel fans. Not only had they lost a show close to their hearts and imaginations, but it was all in vain. And not even all the Dark Angel 'Love' (the letters, the emails) in the world could convince FOX to reconsider - there are sources who say FOX deleted email on arrival and returned or threw away fan mail. (How disappointing when a company that exists primarily to air shows that garners viewers for commercials won't even listen to it's viewers - it's customers - when they 'shout' as loud as they can).
Dark Angel was a fantastic show, and it is a hope of mine that there will be some sort of continuation - perhaps a TV movie to
wrap things up. To Dark Angel fans reading this, there is a "Barcode D-day" planned for May 17th 2003, in which fans are planning to flood FOX with envelopes including letters requesting the return to Dark Angel and clipped or computer generated barcodes.
Many thanks to the cast and crew for this fantastic show, best wishes to them all in the future. *Four and a half out of Five Stars.*
Stingers (1998)
One of Australia's Best-ever Crime Series
What can I say? I have been a fan of "Stingers" for several years now, going back to Bernie Rocca days, I think and I can't honestly say there has been a single episode I've disliked. The life of an undercover cop, not to mention a whole unit of them is an intruiging idea and great premise and with all credit due to the wonderful writers, the idea hasn't grown stale. The introduction of Danni Mayo surprised me a few years back, but she turned out to be a great asset to the show. I can only hope that Gary Sweet, Rebecca Gibney and Jacinta Stapleton will capture their characters just as well. In the departure of Ian Stenlake and Anita Hegh I feel the show has moved on by replacing characters we've known and loved from the start with new, fresh people to meet - at the same time, I'm glad that Oscar and Mac have not been forgotten or simply 'put on the shelf', but are still very much a meaningful part of the show in the absence of the actors. Whether this replacement is a good idea or not will take time to see... but until I see otherwise, I will be watching, taking in (IMO) one of the greatest Drama series ever made in Australia. I sincerely recommend this series to anyone who can appreciate excellent photography, clever storylines and smart writing. One of my favourite series of all time, I give Stingers 9 out of 10