Blackpool
I thought that I'd pick one of the shows that I like to talk about. And since I'm watching a clip of it right now on Youtube, I thought that I'd start with Blackpool.
This thread may (probably will) contain spoilers, though I will not reveal how it ends. But if you are the sort who sit on tenterhooks while watching this sort of show, like I was, then you may want to read no further. However, if you haven't heard of it, I don't think it's going to ruin your enjoyment of the show too much- I knew bits about it, and I saw some clips of it, and I was still totally excited and watched about 4 hours straight.
Blackpool is a 6 hour long miniseries starring David Tennant of Doctor Who and Casanova fame. I think that it's absolutely amazing and I wish there could be more shows like it. Each episode is half an hour, and it really did keep me in suspense, though it starts off slowly. It takes half an hour for David's character, Carlisle, to be introduced. It is a police drama/thriller/romance/murder mystery/musical. Yes that's right, I said musical. It's what I'm dubbing a 'karaoke musical'. It's almost like a living songfic. The characters randomly burst into song and dance (not quite in a broadway sense but close) but though the actors *are* actually singing, you can hear them, they're actually just singing *along with* the original song. Which is why I'm calling it a karaoke musical. And the songs are usually metaphorical in nature, about the scene that is happening. Sometimes it's used to show the passing of time. Lots of the time there are surreal elements.
I also love how half of the story is from the 'bad guys' perspective... yet, you still don't know who did it or what's going on.
It's set in Blackpool, in the UK.
It starts off with Ripley Holden, a rather... dodgy... man... who has started up a 'family amusement arcade' ie, a casino. He wants to build a casino hotel and is waiting for the planning permission. He has a daughter who is 20, and a son who is 17 I think. And a beautiful 'trophy' wife, who doesn't know what she's doing with her life, but works in volunteer work. The son is acting a bit dodgy/suspicious, and the daughter has boyfriends who the parents do not approve of. But they both love their parents and it's not like they're entirely off the rails.
Then, Ripley comes into his beloved casino ... to find a dead body of a young man sprawled across the floor. Detective Carlisle is called. Who starts investigating Ripley, and falls in love with Ripley's wife... Meanwhile Ripley is dealing with his daughter's new boyfriend, crime, his son, trying to get his casino hotel, and so on... Who is guilty, and what happened?
it is absolutely brilliant. So gripping, and it's amazing to see how it all interconnects... I had to start watching it again straight after, and it really did all make sense watching it knowing what was going on. The characters are also great. It's SO worth a watch. It's on dvd. I got my Mum addicted to it... :D
Has anyone else here watched it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzqiJO8sfn4 Carlisle questions Ripley. hehe. To These Boots Are Made For Walking Not that spoilery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIfpxY-9tk8 the opening of the second episode. to "The Gambler". Not that spoilery.
Clips and spoilery remarks under the cut.
Here's some clips of it. All spoilery. Spoilery but misleading. Please don't read further or watch them if you're going to be upset that not everything in it is a surprise anymore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CriRJywTDfQ "The Boy with the thorn in his side". Danny Holden gets arrested for drug dealing. SO cute. Not all that spoilery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VtBFTstXOU Oo la la. This is a demonstration of some of the issues in the Holden household... spoilery as all of these are. Oh, and obviously the stripper scene is 'surreal'. They sure would never go to the same strip club. And she wouldn't be stripping.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haC38czRfRk this random 'love making' scene that is totally surreal. :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpQ0y-1_9Es from the second last episode. Extremely spoilery but possibly misleading, as all of these are actually. To 'Knock Knock Who's There'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw2jKbAiT14 "Walk Tall". Spoilery. I love Danny. He's a cutie. I wish there were some fanfiction about him... I still think he had a total crush on Carlisle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tazyXs_FhV4
From the last episode, so yeah, it's a spoiler.
There were a lot more songs too but they're not all on youtube.
Sorry if I upset anyone with these spoilery things.
This thread may (probably will) contain spoilers, though I will not reveal how it ends. But if you are the sort who sit on tenterhooks while watching this sort of show, like I was, then you may want to read no further. However, if you haven't heard of it, I don't think it's going to ruin your enjoyment of the show too much- I knew bits about it, and I saw some clips of it, and I was still totally excited and watched about 4 hours straight.
Blackpool is a 6 hour long miniseries starring David Tennant of Doctor Who and Casanova fame. I think that it's absolutely amazing and I wish there could be more shows like it. Each episode is half an hour, and it really did keep me in suspense, though it starts off slowly. It takes half an hour for David's character, Carlisle, to be introduced. It is a police drama/thriller/romance/murder mystery/musical. Yes that's right, I said musical. It's what I'm dubbing a 'karaoke musical'. It's almost like a living songfic. The characters randomly burst into song and dance (not quite in a broadway sense but close) but though the actors *are* actually singing, you can hear them, they're actually just singing *along with* the original song. Which is why I'm calling it a karaoke musical. And the songs are usually metaphorical in nature, about the scene that is happening. Sometimes it's used to show the passing of time. Lots of the time there are surreal elements.
I also love how half of the story is from the 'bad guys' perspective... yet, you still don't know who did it or what's going on.
It's set in Blackpool, in the UK.
It starts off with Ripley Holden, a rather... dodgy... man... who has started up a 'family amusement arcade' ie, a casino. He wants to build a casino hotel and is waiting for the planning permission. He has a daughter who is 20, and a son who is 17 I think. And a beautiful 'trophy' wife, who doesn't know what she's doing with her life, but works in volunteer work. The son is acting a bit dodgy/suspicious, and the daughter has boyfriends who the parents do not approve of. But they both love their parents and it's not like they're entirely off the rails.
Then, Ripley comes into his beloved casino ... to find a dead body of a young man sprawled across the floor. Detective Carlisle is called. Who starts investigating Ripley, and falls in love with Ripley's wife... Meanwhile Ripley is dealing with his daughter's new boyfriend, crime, his son, trying to get his casino hotel, and so on... Who is guilty, and what happened?
it is absolutely brilliant. So gripping, and it's amazing to see how it all interconnects... I had to start watching it again straight after, and it really did all make sense watching it knowing what was going on. The characters are also great. It's SO worth a watch. It's on dvd. I got my Mum addicted to it... :D
Has anyone else here watched it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzqiJO8sfn4 Carlisle questions Ripley. hehe. To These Boots Are Made For Walking Not that spoilery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIfpxY-9tk8 the opening of the second episode. to "The Gambler". Not that spoilery.
Clips and spoilery remarks under the cut.
Here's some clips of it. All spoilery. Spoilery but misleading. Please don't read further or watch them if you're going to be upset that not everything in it is a surprise anymore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CriRJywTDfQ "The Boy with the thorn in his side". Danny Holden gets arrested for drug dealing. SO cute. Not all that spoilery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VtBFTstXOU Oo la la. This is a demonstration of some of the issues in the Holden household... spoilery as all of these are. Oh, and obviously the stripper scene is 'surreal'. They sure would never go to the same strip club. And she wouldn't be stripping.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haC38czRfRk this random 'love making' scene that is totally surreal. :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpQ0y-1_9Es from the second last episode. Extremely spoilery but possibly misleading, as all of these are actually. To 'Knock Knock Who's There'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw2jKbAiT14 "Walk Tall". Spoilery. I love Danny. He's a cutie. I wish there were some fanfiction about him... I still think he had a total crush on Carlisle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tazyXs_FhV4
From the last episode, so yeah, it's a spoiler.
There were a lot more songs too but they're not all on youtube.
Sorry if I upset anyone with these spoilery things.