Tv

Ever since watching "The Tudors" I have been wondering why someone has not cast that Rhys-Meyers chap as a vampire. He looks like a vampire. No, he looks like vampires probably would like to look like. It would be so easy. He wouldn't even need make-up. So, it was with some delight I sat down to watch the premiere of "Dracula" starring him as Dracula. It was a good beginning. I am, mostly, a purist and deeply despise the brooding tween vampires that we, for absurd reasons, seem to be inundated with, but Dracula is different. However, in the show, one gets the impression that good old Drac is not evil, not completely anyway. The show is definitely promising, except for one thing and that is Dracula's American accent. It is horrible. Halfway through the episode, I so desperately wanted Rex Harrison in his role as Henry Higgins to jump out, put Drac in a leg-lock and shout "Longer vowels, old chum, let me hear it...come on...the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain...no, not uncle, come, come, there's a good chap, let me hear those long, beautiful vowels". It is, I must clarify, not American accents in general I have a problem with, just the way it is spoken by mr. Meyers. He is not very good at it.

VIKINGS

Just watched the first season of only 9 episodes. Viking mythology is captivating, and this show is so well done. Not too much gratuity with splendid scenery, characters, action and intrigue.

What amuses me is that I didn't know that the Norsemen had Irish accents

What amuses me is that I didn't know that the Norsemen had Irish accents

That's okay - I think back in the days of the Vikings, a lot of the Irish had Norse accents. 

I thought it entertaining too. However, as for historical accuracy, it is about as true and factual as Wodehouse's depiction of Edwardian society. A fun show, nonetheless. 

The show is definitely promising, except for one thing and that is Dracula's American accent. It is horrible. Halfway through the episode, I so desperately wanted Rex Harrison in his role as Henry Higgins to jump out, put Drac in a leg-lock and shout "Longer vowels, old chum, let me hear it...come on...the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain...no, not uncle, come, come, there's a good chap, let me hear those long, beautiful vowels". It is, I must clarify, not American accents in general I have a problem with, just the way it is spoken by mr. Meyers. He is not very good at it.

I liked this show too but I disagree with the accent. I mean, yes, its REALLY bad, but I thought that was the point. They show him in the beginning trying to get used to it, and I think it is bad on purpose because it's Dracula trying on a new "role" and being someone he's not.

I thought it entertaining too. However, as for historical accuracy, it is about as true and factual as Wodehouse's depiction of Edwardian society. A fun show, nonetheless. 

At least they don't have horns on their helmets

True, I see the point of the accent. As for horns on helmets, that would have been very silly.
As for really dumb shows, poor acting and general wallowing in conventions and cliche, I recommend watching one episode of "The Witches of East End". It is spectacularly horrible.

Ever since watching "The Tudors" I have been wondering why someone has not cast that Rhys-Meyers chap as a vampire.

Seems he agrees with you. He's a producer of the show.

Hmm..sometimes one has to wonder who writes or researches TV shows. In "Sleepy Hollow" a show I am starting to like simply for its entertainment value, the residents of the Lost Colony of Roanoke are discovered and, apparently, they communicate in Middle English. Uhm...hmm...Yes, a colony established during the reign of Queen Elizabeth speaks Middle English...right..
Watching "Grimm" today, I was mildly chuckling at the last conversation between the main character and a befuddled young man who had, albeit he did not know it, been saved by a naiad with a tween crush on him and had seen something he could not understand. He then stated the girl was "not normal", to which the main character replied "No-one is, Jake, it's Portland", the gf could not understand reason for chucklimg and now I am trying to download "Chinatown". I can't help but wonder how many such references are lost on a less nerdy demographic, the same demographic, I assume, who has no problem with a 16th Century English colony speaking Middle English.

Hmm..sometimes one has to wonder who writes or researches TV shows.

The same people who research and write this networks "news".

Having tried, once more, to like the new show "Dracula", I am confused. First, we, the viewers, are presented with good ol' Vlad being all miffed about not being being able to work on his tan and van Helsing informing him that, due to the fact he has no heartbeat, the anti-sun serum cannot be transported around in his body. Ok then, fair dinkum. Moments later, we are introduced to Drac making mad monkey-love to a blond vampire hunter who, despite being a professional hunter of the Nosferatu, is incapable of noticing such trivial things as her lover's body being ice cold, doesn't have a heartbeat and does not breathe. I fail to grasp how Drac can perform "the beast with two backs" when we have recently been informed that his blood is dormant. Thus no blood can surge to any members, rendering the possibility of an erection somewhat null, I would say. More to the point, if his increasingly annoying accent is used to play a part in front of the gullible citizens of London, then why does he keep it up in private? And Dracula is now a do-gooding humanitarian whose aim is to provide the world with green energy and destroy the evil oil magnates??? Why in the world did they have to call this show "Dracula"?...oh, hold on..never mind...for the same reason that the inhabitants of Roanoke spoke Middle English...if they really want a good show with good characters and plot set in the Victorian era, why not just turn "No Name" or "Armadale" into a series? They were serialized before they were novels...I should probably just stop watching TV. The gf was watching the new show "Atlantis" the other day, I watched 3 minutes...Hercules is a fat boy playing with beetles...

if they really want a good show with good characters and plot set in the Victorian era, why not just turn "No Name" or "Armadale" into a series?

Why would you think they want a good show?

hahahah, ETR, that is quite a funny criticism of the show. Good point old chap, good point! 

A bit behind the times... just started watching Person of Interest. (Season three is on going in, I'm still on season one.) At first, particularly in the first episode, I was like, everyone speaks what they're doing, literally speaks it, how is there going to be anything worth watching. But then the characters started getting interesting. Shall watch more while waiting for Revolution and Continuum to start again.

I am really enjoying this Person of Interest. It's basically Batman and Robin but post-9/11 and Robin's the money and the brains while Batman's the muscle. It's great. They even have super-villains. Batman's skills come from him being ex-special forces and CIA, and he has no special gadgetry beyond one gigantic "Machine", a super-surveillance program created for the government by Robin Finch.

What I'm enjoying is, in the proper sense of the word, this tv show "realizes" the Batman story, makes it real. Or real enough anyway.