From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V10 #68 Reply-To: chakram-refugees@smoe.org Sender: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk chakram-refugees-digest Friday, November 22 2013 Volume 10 : Number 068 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] fat, cowardly Herc in Atlantis -- Variety review [KLOS] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 19:05:56 -0500 (EST) From: KLOSSNER9@aol.com Subject: [chakram-refugees] fat, cowardly Herc in Atlantis -- Variety review Atlantisb * _EMAIL_ (mailto:?subject=TV%20Review:%20BBC%20Americabs%20bAtlantis b &body=Check%20out%20this%20article%20from%20Variety:%20http://variety.com/201 3/tv/reviews/atlantis-tv-review-bbc-america-1200860282/) _PRINT_ (javascript:window.print()) * _1_ (http://variety.com/2013/tv/reviews/atlantis-tv-review-bbc-america-1200860282 /#comments) _TALK_ (http://variety.com/2013/tv/reviews/atlantis-tv-review-bbc-america-1200860282 /#comments) * * * NOVEMBER 21, 2013 | 07:45AM PT Brits' latest mythological tea-time show doesn't do much more than tread water (http://variety.com/author/brian-lowry/) _Brian Lowry_ (http://variety.com/author/brian-lowry/) TV Columnist_@blowryontv_ (http://twitter.com/@blowryontv) RELATED STORIES * (http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/bbc-america-slates-doctor-who-youtube-l ive-simulcast-to-promote-50th-anniversary-show-1200855484/) * _DIGITAL_ (http://variety.com/v/digital/) * 10:57 AM _BBC America Slates bDoctor Whob YouTube Live Simulcast to Promote 50th Anniversary Show_ (http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/bbc-america-slates-doctor-who-youtube-l ive-simulcast-to-promote-50th-anniversary-show-1200855484/ ) * (http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/bbc-america-in-doctor-who-overdrive-for-50th - -anniversary-1200808952/) * _TV_ (http://variety.com/v/tv/) * 08:39 AM _BBC America in bDoctor Whob Overdrive for 50th Anniversary_ (http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/bbc-america-in-doctor-who-overdrive-for-50th - - anniversary-1200808952/) * (http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/fox-other-nets-try-new-way-to-nag-you-t o-watch-their-shows-1200734879/) * _DIGITAL_ (http://variety.com/v/digital/) * 06:00 AM _Fox, Other Nets Try New Way of Nagging You to Watch Their Shows_ (http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/fox-other-nets-try-new-way-to-nag-you-t o-watch - -their-shows-1200734879/) * (http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/bbc-america-greenlights-glen-morgan-produced - -series-intruders-1200737453/) * _TV_ (http://variety.com/v/tv/) * 05:31 AM _BBC America Greenlights Glen Morgan-Produced Series bIntrudersb_ (http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/bbc-america-greenlights-glen-morgan-produced - -serie s-intruders-1200737453/) Essentially another British tea-time show with an inordinately good cast around the fringes, b_Atlantis_ (http://variety.com/t/atlantis/) b plunges right into its reimagining of Greek mythology, where only the names (Hercules, Pythagoras, Medusa) bear much resemblance to our perceptions. Playful but thin, this good-looking hour (partly lensed in Morocco) is filled with portentous dialogue b yet another youthful protagonist told time and again of his bgreat destinyb b and an affordable dollop of CGI creatures. Itbs not bad, but donbt come to _BBC America_ (http://variety.com/t/bbc-america/) bs latest import burdened by high expectations, since this ship doesnbt do much more than tread water. In that respect, the show falls squarely in the vein of previous series like bMerlinb (which comes from that skeinbs creative team) and bSinbad,b U.K. productions with presold names that found a home, if only marginal viewership, on content-hungry U.S. channels. Young Jason (Jack Donnelly) is introduced as he prepares for a deep-sea submarine dive, looking to uncover the truth about what happened to his long-missing father. A gush of water later, he awakens on the beach of a strange land known as Atlantis, where he soon encounters Pythagoras (Robert Emms) b a bookish sort who knows all the angles (heh heh) b and Hercules (Mark Addy), who, his name notwithstanding, is not only paunchy but has yet to meet a threat from which he wonbt run away. In short order, Jason visits the Oracle (Juliet Stevenson), who tells him, bOnly you can bring an end to the peoplebs fear and suffering.b Still, if youbre waiting for something to specifically explain why thatbs so in the three episodes previewed of this 13-episode series b the last of which unleashes a pretty obvious bGladiatorb homage b odds are youbll wind up feeling fleeced. Addy is a pretty inspired choice as this not-so-heroic reworking of Hercules, while Sarah Parish plays the mysterious (and initially, underused) evil queen, and Aiysha Hart the beautiful princess, as the series careens through threats like the Minotaur and murderous crones. Ultimately, though, therebs a certain sloppiness to this latest mythological mishmash, which joins BBC Americabs Supernatural Saturdays franchise, piggybacking on a b_Dr. Who_ (http://variety.com/t/dr-who/) b special. And while one suspects Jason will have to wait a while before being reunited with that sub in which his journey began, about the best one can say regarding this leaky vehicle is that it proves slightly better than substandard. TV Review: BBC America's 'Atlantis' (Series; BBC America, Sat. Nov. 23, 9 p.m.) Production Filmed in Wales and Morocco by Urban Myth Films and BBC Cymru Wales. Crew Executive producers, Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy, Howard Overman, Bethan Jones; director, Justin Molotnikov; writer, Overman; camera, Dale McCready; production designer, Paul Cripps; editor, Simon Reglar; music, Rob Lane; casting, Andy Pryor. 60 MIN. Cast Jack Donnelly, Mark Addy, Robert Emms, Jemima Rooper, Aiysha Hart, Sarah Parish, Juliet Stevenson, Alexander Siddig FILED UNDER: * _Atlantis_ (http://variety.com/t/atlantis/) ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ End of chakram-refugees-digest V10 #68 **************************************