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On Television |
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The TV SCENE  From left, Jamie Bamber, Bradley Walsh, Freema Agyeman and Ben Daniels star in “Law & Order: UK” airing on BBC America. |
"Law & Order," English Style, is latest twist
of TheColumnists.com
NBC cancelled the
venerable "Law & Order” after last season, but
its various NBC spinoffs live on. Yet there's one new spinoff,
of sorts, with a twist. It’s “Law & Order: U.K.,”
which is telecast Friday nights at 9 on the cable network BBC
America.
“L&O: UK” is based on producer Dick Wolf’s
long-running U.S. series. The format is the same--a crime is
solved by police, then we follow it through legal and court proceedings.
The scripts are taken from the U.S. version, but adapted to fit
the British legal system. I think ”UK” can best be
described as a beloved old car that just got a new coat of bright,
shiny paint.
What makes this U.K. version interesting is the setting of London
and its environs. Playing the cops are Jamie Bamber (“Battlestar
Galactica”), Bradley Walsh and Harriet Walter. For the prosecution--the
Crown Prosecution, that is--are Ben Daniels, Freema Agyeman and
Bill Paterson.
The transformed version of the old show
is really good. I am hooked on it, just like I
was with the original “L&O.”
BBC America is planning to air 26 episodes of “UK”
this season.
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Speaking of cop
shows, the entire series of the best British cop show EVER, “Prime
Suspect,” is now available in a boxed DVD set. Starring
Helen Mirren, who won an Emmy playing detective Jane Tennison,
the set includes all seven series of the British drama about
a flawed and driven woman who rises through the ranks of Britain’s
Metropolitan Police.
The drama debuted on PBS’ “Mystery!" in 1992,
then migrated to PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre." It ended
in 2006 with a riveting episode. If you’ve seen the finale,
you will remember that last scene forever. I know I do.
“Prime Suspect” also won an Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries,
along with Mirren’s win for Outstanding Actress. The series
also won more than 20 international awards. Over the years “Suspect,”
created by writer Lynda La Plante, featured many top British
actors, including Ralph Fiennes, Zoe Wanamaker, Ciaran Hinds,
Tom Bell and Jonny Lee Miller.
If you missed any episodes, or have only heard about the series,
this full set is a must have. I bought it because I will be watching
it over and over and over again.
And about that report that NBC was planning a U.S. version of
“Prime Suspect,” well, it’s been shelved. The
network reportedly had casting problems, according to The
Hollywood Reporter. No surprise there. As if anyone could
replace Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison!
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Nothing says the
holiday season like…”The Vampire Diaries"? While
most networks are airing holiday-themed programs, The CW network,
for the second year in a row, is offering fans a chance to catch
up with the second season of “Diaries.”
Two episodes will air each night from 8-10 p.m. Dec. 13-Dec.
17. All 10 episodes
of season two will air during this weeklong event. This is good
news for fans who
that may have missed any episodes.
If you are a newcomer and wonder what all the fuss is about,
the basic premise of “Diaries” is that two vampire
brothers are obsessed with the same girl. It stars Ian Somerhalder,
Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev.
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Speaking of the holidays in a more traditional way, the ABC Family network's annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming offers up “Christmas Cupid” at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Sunday, Dec. 12.
Christina Milian and Chad Michael Murray star in the story of a Hollywood publicist (Milian) who is haunted by the ghost of her infamous client. The ghost takes her on a journey to meet the ghosts of her former boyfriends and attempts to guide her to her true love. ABC Family says it’s a modern-day take on Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” And who doesn't need a little classic Dickens during the holiday season?!
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If you’re a
fan of Cirque Du Soleil, PBS has a treat for you. “Cirque
Du Soleil
— Flowers in the Desert,” features performances from
six Las Vegas Cirque shows
that have never aired on TV nor been released on DVD in the U.S.
It airs on Sunday,
Nov. 28 from 9:30-11 p.m. (check local listings).
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We’ve had series about repo men (and women) going after cars and criminals. Now A&E’s new “Storage Wars” reality series takes us along as four professional buyers and their teams search for hidden treasure in repossessed storage units.
What do they find? Well, the “treasures” range from coffins, cars and shrunken heads to valuable comic books. The 12-episode series premieres at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
©2010 by Donna J. Plesh. This column first posted Nov. 22, 2010. The photo is courtesy of BBC America.
You can comment
on this column online via our TALKBACK page. Please address your e-mail message to either
"The Editors" or Donna J. Plesh at Syndpack@aol.com
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