American Television Series Based on British Television Series

When I know that Mad Dogs is going to be re-do in America, I shouldn't be so surprised. America has a history of adapting British television shows and make it their own. I've watched the British Life on Mars and American Life on Mars, British Broadchurch (my review on Broadchurch is here) and American Gracepoint, British Top Gear and American Top Gear USA. I'm afraid that I find the British wins in all three rounds.

And Then There Were None (2015)

And Then There Were None is a three-part BBC TV mini-series adapted from the same-named famous novel by Agatha Christie.

The story is set on an isolated island.  The scenery is poetic and the cinematography is poetic. The set production is beautiful and it really looks like the 40's. The editing is excellent as the flashback of the characters are done brilliantly without interrupting the flow of the story. I like the practical effects in the story, for example, the hanging and gunshot looks realistic.

The acting is superb and I recognize many faces such as Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, Charles Dance, Burn Gorman, etc. I remember Sam Neill and Miranda Richardson acted together in Merlin (1998). Burn Gorman always act as the bad boy, for instance, in Torchwood, Agatha Christie's Marple, and The Dark Knight Rises, etc.

By the way, there are some very good senior British actors that I like, to name a few, Ian Richardson [Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes (2000), Gormenghast (2000)], Ian McKellen [X-men (2000), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Vicious (2013), Mr. Holmes (2015)], Michael Caine [Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Cary Grant [Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), A Affair to Remember (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Walk Don't Run (1966)], Christopher Lee [Gormenghast (2000), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)].

A plot hole I can think of is that the figures are removed as each person is killed. They can then just hide somewhere near the table and observe who removes the figures!

This is another case on lynching. It reminds me of Curtain: Poirot's Last Case which also talks about lynching.

Madam Secretary

Madam Secretary Featurette

Didn't expect that the TV show would be so good. Though the show seems to be related to the real world but it's not entirely true on facts. Afterall, it's entertainment.

What I admire the show most is how Madam Secretary solves problems one after another. She knows her assets and the boundaries. She is a good negotiator and a decisive boss. It must be fun working for her.

Each episode features a country where the U.S. has a crisis with. It's always life or death matters or moral issues on the line. I like watching people skillfully solve problems.

Definitely a recommended show for people who are interested in what goverment officials / PR do.

MasterChef Australia

The first MasterChef show I watched was  Junior MasterChef Australia. Then I watched all five seasons of MasterChef (U.S. version) and MasterChef Junior (U.S. version). Now I am following MasterChef Australia.

I find this food show very interesting. Not only do I learn some techniques to cook, I also expand my food vocabulary and my understanding of the cultures of different countries.

Most of the contestants have a day job but they all share one thing in common: the passion for food. Some of them entered the competition so that they could move to the food industry. Moreover, there were occasions where distinguished cooks take eliminated contestants under their wings. I find this very inspiring. It is such a nurturing environment for the contestants to learn and grow and become something. I believe people can have more than one passion and skill sets. You can be a lawyer but also a good cook. You can be a tax accountant but also a good artist. I don't understand why it is so hard for the people in Hong Kong to accept any career change.

To career-changers: may the force be with you!

Top Gear (Season 22), MasterChef Junior (USA), Face Off, the Mentalist(Season 7)

These are the latest TV shows I'm watching.

Top Gear is a funny British car show. The presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have so much chemistry amongst themselves. I like the episodes with the three of them racing to the finish line by different cars or different means of transportations.

MasterChef Junior (US version) is educational and entertaining. I'm amazed by kids that can cook from 2! At 8-12, they can already prepare dishes that looks like real chefs.

Face Off is an amazing special effects make-up competition. It opens the doors to the Hollywood film industry for the competitors. This show always mentions Hunger Games and Star Trek.

The Mentalist has already been in its seventh season. Jane is witty, cunning and fun to watch. He breaks almost every rules and thinks outside the box. I don't think there is any real life Jane, especially in my industry. Breaking the rules is strictly forbidden. That's why he's a dream.

Agatha Christie's Poirot

Agatha Christie's Poirot Trailer

I recently picked up the series, long after it ended in 2013. I watched it backwards starting from series 13. The last episode is Curtain. I was shocked by Poirot's last case (spoilers below).

Poirot was a talented, honorable detective who solved mysteries and crimes in so many cases (13 series!). I thought he represents justice. Surprisingly, in his very last case, he himself was the murderer! He killed because he believed that by killing Norton, the man who psychologically manipulated many others to kill, he would have saved many lives. He knew that he was dying and would want to do something before his death. The question is: is it justifiable to kill someone who you think is guilty for goodness sake? Who has the right to lynch? Will Poirot go to hell?

It reminds me of a Japanese animation Weiss Kreuz. It explores the same ethical questions. The protagonists are four young assassins at night who worked as florists during the day as a cover.  They take orders from an unknown man (kinda like Charlie's Angels) and kill many people who they think are guilty. They think they are doing the right thing. However, one day they meet their archenemy. They were questioned on whether their killing would turn them into the people they hated, those who kill innocent people. The anime did not provide any resolution. None of the protagonists nor antagonists die. The story is left open-ended. But it still lingers in my mind every now and then.

Poirot in Curtain also reminds me of River Song from Doctor Who. The fact is that she and the Doctor has a reverse timeline. The first time the Doctor met her was the last day she ever lived. I now understand how the Doctor feels. I knew how Poirot died and I now get to see the younger him, each episode by episode, until his very first case. Strange feeling.

Miss Marple is also one of my favourite shows. I finished series one to six already (took a while). I hope I get to finish all episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot soon.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary...anxiously waiting for

The Day of the Doctor - Doctor Who 50th Anniverary Trailer - BBC One


It'll be broadcast on Nov 23! So looking forward to seeing David Tennant, Matt Smith and John Hurt togeter.

The second 50th anniversary trailer reveals a little bit more than the first.

Counting down!

Broadchurch (2013)

Broadchurch (2013) Trailer

I am interested in watching Broadchurch because of David Tennant. He plays a completely different character from the Doctor. Alec is a detective who failed a case before coming to Broadchurch. He is so sick to perform his duties that he is hospitalized during the investigation.

Every character has a (dark) past and each episode explores a different character. It gives depth to them and the characters are well-developed.

Compared with American detective dramas such as the Mentalist and CSI: NY, the pace of the story is quite slow. Many of the scenes are about exploring the mental status of the characters or showing how they feel. Most characters are either mourning the dead or somehow upset with their lives. The music is very powerful in bringing those emotions. I think the first episode was quite boring. But I grew more and more interest in understanding the characters and I wanted to solve the case.

The writers tried very hard to mystify the case and almost all of the characters are suspicious. You wouldn't know who the killer is until the last episode.

This is such a quality show.

Secret Diary of A Call Girl

Secret Diary of A Call Girl is a British TV drama based on the books of a real call girl. The call girl is played by Billie Piper.

I have seen the poster many times before but I couldn't recognize that the girl is Billie! She is Doctor Who's companion, never think of her in that role! The poster doesn't look British at all! I've seen the same girl in martini glass thing in CSI:NY.

It's funny that Matt Smith stars in one of the episodes in Season One. Doctor and his ex-companion, huh! And they will star together in the 50th Anniversary special. Once stars are outside Whoniverse, I couldn't recognize them. The characters they play are so different (as you may know DW is a children's show).

Billie is quite a good actress. She can play both the wild side and nice girl thing. 

Story-wise, unwinding the escort/call girl/prostitute theme is catchy already. It's entertaining though I know things are dramatized. I like Belle breaking the forth wall and telling us the tips of the trade. We all like to know the secrets, the dark side, the tips of the trade. TV shows are always about doctors, attorneys, police. That's why the books of less-seen-on-TV-professions, such as flight attendants are best-sellers. Wonder if they would do something for accountants or regulators...hear someone yawning. LOL

James May's Man Lab

James May's Man Lab - Budgie Number 35 and Tommy the Cat's Space Funeral


James May's Man Lab is an interesting show that demonstrates different skills to modern man. The presenter James May is humorous as he said, "Welcome to the non-awarding winning Man Lab". I think the programme deserves a thumbs-up for its educational purpose. I really enjoy British television for their educational programmes.

Some of the projects are cool and amazing, such as the High Voltage Festival (season 2 episode 2), pet space funeral (season 2 episode 3), and build your own bar (season 1 episode 2), etc.

However, many projects ended in failure, such as rock-paper-scissors championship (I heard of a better method to win rock-paper-scissors which was not mentioned by any of the experts in the show), search for his father's lost ring, etc.

Anyway, I love the show as it gives me a bit of a laugh. A perfect stress reliever for a hard day.

Once Upon A Time

Once Upon A Time Trailer

Why do antagonists become who they are? I like stories that dwells into the past of characters. For example, Regina became evil because of the tragedies that happened to her love. Audience may root for her. This is much better than the good-versus-bad cliché. Humans are far more complicated than that. Love the psychological approach and development of the characters in Once Upon A Time.

Film critic, The OC Season 4

The O.C. Season 4 Promo

It's so ironic that in the OC 4, Summer said why don't Seth be a film critic.
It's easy to point out the shortcomings of others but it's hard to see our own.

Friday Night Project with John Barrowman

Check out John's Arabian Nights and David Tennant's question for John!!!

Friday Night Project with David Tennant

Accidentally find this programme from the youtube. David played Casanova before. He has a Scottish accent. Find out what he says about his bad habit. :P

The Weakest Link - Dr Who Special

This is so funny! With John Barrowman as Jack, Noel as Mickey, Andrew as Jake, David as Dr Who, Camille as Rose's mom, Darlek's voice-over and K-9 the tin dog, this episode is so interesting!

Torchwood

Torchwood - BBC


I like watching Torchwood. John Barrowman resembles Tom Cruise! Torchwood explores darker issues than Dr. Who.

Doctor Who

Dr. Who is a BBC production.

One of the compelling episodes The Girl in the Fireplace. The story is very touching.

Hotel Babylon

Hotel Babylon Series 2 Episode 1 Clip

The receptionists in hotels in Hong Kong don't seem to have any smile on their face. They are bored. Hotel Babylon is fun to watch because the characters are dramatized. Or is it just the cultural difference? Anyway, I like to work with fun people. They are good people in Hotel Babylon though sometimes people mess things up.

The Amazing Race 9

I can summarize what it takes to win the Amazing Race.
1) Good teamwork: trust each other
2) Act calmly
3) Able to read maps
4) Able to drive all kinds of cars
5) Run fast
6) Speaking different languages is an edge
7) Physically strong
8) Not afraid of heights. You may find yourself rappeling down a building!
9) Last but not least, being lucky!

It's fun to travel around the world with a partner. I like observing how people work as teams. There's so much to learn!

Black humour, Help Me Help You (2006)

Help Me Help You (2006) is an American TV drama about a group therapy. Every episode it explores a certain aspect of the clients. They have positive attitudes and are fun to watch. The pace of the story-telling is quick. You may feel recharged.
Can we just laugh things away?