celtigra

I started this as having read many of Anne Rice's books I thought it should be good. Initially, I felt that the first two episodes were slow and muddled. I stuck with it for a third episode and it really picked up. By episode 5 I was hooked. Still have episode 6 to watch. The acting, apart from our "hero" was absolutely excellent. Our hero though, dear, dear me, whoever did the casting should be removed. He is, without a doubt, one of the very worst actors for this part I have ever seen. I am sure they could have gotten someone much better. He acts like a spoilt, entitled four year old. He is very lucky that the rest of the cast are carrying him. William Fichter is, as always, splendid. If you can put the "hero's" flaws aside, you should enjoy it. Just pray that if there is a second series they bin him.

I know very little about American Football (although a fan of rugby), but I saw the trailer for this and thought I would give it a go. I am now waiting eagerly for each episode to drop. This is really funny and I find myself laughing loads. I have even gone to the trouble of looking up the rules of American Football! The leads are hilarious and I'm finding it very stress relieving. Who would have thought that a 75 year old female would like this! I have no hesitation in recommending this. A great show.

I first came across The Count of Monte Cristo in the BBC TV adaption starring Alan Badel. This has lead, over the years, to reading the book several times and also watching all the adaptations made by film makers. I do appreciate that it would be very hard to portray and explore all the intricacies of the book with its sub plots in just eight episodes. Knowing the book well it did, however, annoy me with some of the changes to the plot. The actor playing Danglars was brilliantly cast. The rest - well I am only four episodes in - the jury is still out. I could not binge this series as I'm afraid modern actors have terrible diction and I have to use subtitles. This version, however, is a little more faithful to the book than all the terrible films made in the intervening years. The actor playing Dantes though, I feel, shows too much emotion. After all the years imprisonment his heart would have hardened and he would not have been quivering on meeting Mercedes again. It would have been stone cold. I recently watched the original series (black and white) which has been released on a DVD, and I am afraid, for me, there will be only one Count and that actor was Alan Badel.