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Post by topcat on Mar 8, 2008 7:34:50 GMT -5
Here's some that made me laugh, nod, or simply do this: Me too. Here are a few more: - I do hope all the actors are being well paid for this monstrosity, because the addage "You'll never work in this town again", should be applied to all those taking part. Utter drivel and woeful acting. - I'd like to thank all the people who DIDN'T tune in; we've got to banish rubbish like this from our tv screens, the makers admit it's tacky, meaningless, OTT and are taking us for idiots. And as for the "viewers vote for the ending!" Jeez! Didn't watch, won't watch. Hopefully, many did the same Looks like the constant advertising of this show has not helped get an audience: - ITV1's big new drama hope Rock Rivals fell flat last night, March 5, pulling in just 3.9 million viewers in the 9pm slot. I think it's time Shed stopped trying to appeal to the masses by any means and actually wrote something decent. Using former star name soap stars in the leading roles does not guarantee an audience anymore - in fact, it probably hinders these days. BG originally attracted a big audience because it was well written and had new, interesting actors in the leads. It seems the 'Widows' rip off will star Jesse Wallace who has the acting range of a piece of ply. They are probably lining up Patsy Kensit, as I type, for the Tory MP...... And what's with their obsession with Alison Newman? BG, FW and now RR? She was a good baddie as Rene. From what I saw of her in FW, it was the same character with a different hair cut.
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Post by justafan on Mar 9, 2008 22:37:06 GMT -5
I think Bad Girls jumped the shark when Nikki escaped Larkhall dressed in the nurses uniform and wearing that atrocious blond wig....and then she broke back in tagging along behind Helen. I mean...come on!
Speaking of reality shows, I thought about MJ the other night when I was watching the stand up comic/actress, Kathy Griffin in "My Life on the D List". The show details her life on stage and off. Frequently Kathy is seen trying to contact her agent and they never take her calls...there's always some excuse from the agent. I wonder if that's part of MJ's problem. Miss Griffin seems to be doing ok though even without the apparent active participation of the agent (of course her show is popular and very funny).
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Post by topcat on Apr 12, 2008 10:00:48 GMT -5
I thought about MJ the other night when I was watching the stand up comic/actress, Kathy Griffin in "My Life on the D List". The show details her life on stage and off. Frequently Kathy is seen trying to contact her agent and they never take her calls...there's always some excuse from the agent. I wonder if that's part of MJ's problem. Maybe that's why Mandana finds Extras so funny and yet sad because that also has a strong story arc about incompetent agents!!
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Post by topcat on May 3, 2008 9:13:54 GMT -5
Didn't want to start a new thread but found this article very interesting www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/28/bbc.tvnewsSo, the second in command at the Beeb used to work for Shed? Might explain why their 'new' ideas are being given the green light over there these days. Also, he says At the end of the day, we're all working with the same quite small pool of talent - be it actors, writers, producers - so it really makes sense for us to talk to each other. It's about someone having a strategic overview and bringing people together."" Erm, who makes it a small pool? Isn't the major complaint of viewers that TV bosses keep using the same, tedious actors in everything? Writers have complained that their work has been compromised by TV execs demanding they use ex soap stars on contract (Paul Abbott actually named names and left for channel 4 after he was forced to use an actress he didn't want to in Clocking Off ). No wonder drama is in the state it's in.
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Post by topcat on Jun 8, 2009 3:53:51 GMT -5
The new Shed offering 'Hope Springs' aired last night. I decided to record it because they had, at least, avoided casting Jesse Wallace (as rumoured) for the far more competent Alex Kingston. Plus, I live in hope that early BG was not the exception to Shed's abilities. As we were out, I haven't yet had the pleasure but popped over to the BBC messageboards to see the initial reaction. Nothing changes, it would seem, with Shed output . Here are a few comments: "Fifteen minutes in and my eyes are aching with the continual jumping about from scene to scene and my ears aching with excessively loud music, plus phoney accents!" "I see it's written by three women (yes three). So does this mean the men will be portrayed as three times more stupid, weak, chauvinistic philanderers than normal." "This is juvenile rubbish - just because it's Sunday, doesn't mean we're all brain-dead" "This makes Heartbeat look like King Lear." "Have turned over - it's official - it's a shocker!" "Is there a law I don't know about that says that Sunday evening 'drama' has to be condescending, poorly written, 'light-hearted'(read 'trying to be funny but not succeeding') and deploy stereotypes at every turn?" Think I'll just hit the delete button..........
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Post by gingercat on Jun 8, 2009 13:52:11 GMT -5
I have it on the box to watch...will give it a go
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Post by coolbyrne on Jun 8, 2009 18:01:45 GMT -5
I don't know what Heartbeat is, but I still laughed. ;D
Every time I read about yet another failed SHED project, I have to wonder about the success of Bad Girls or at least, certainly the quality in those first couple of years. (To be honest, I don't know if the show was a "success" in terms of the ratings. To the English folk on this board, did it do well in that regard?) Was it luck? Was it genuine talent? Was it the ability of certain actors to rise above the material that made it better than it might have been with lesser talent? Was it the idea that the subject matter was so "groundbreaking" (what an overused term!) that we were able/willing to overlook its weaknesses in other areas? Do we look back on Bad Girls through rose-tinted specs?
Because let's be honest- how can one tiny writing company be so hit and miss and miss and miss? Can they really be that shite with everything but their very first project? Or was Bad Girls more garbage than gold, and we were just able to find the diamond under all the shite?
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Post by topcat on Jun 10, 2009 10:29:34 GMT -5
To the English folk on this board, did it do well in that regard?) Was it luck? Was it genuine talent? Was it the ability of certain actors to rise above the material that made it better than it might have been with lesser talent? Was it the idea that the subject matter was so "groundbreaking" (what an overused term!) that we were able/willing to overlook its weaknesses in other areas? Do we look back on Bad Girls through rose-tinted specs? As far as I remember, Bad Girls first ever episode drew a good audience of around 8 million. They, then, saw a massive drop to about 4 million for episodes two and three. Gradually, though, the audience grew and grew to a peak of around 9 million by the end of the second series. I'm sure Shed actually quoted this in an interview somewhere because they even thought the show may get pulled after the initial downturn. It did stand out, at the time, as being the only non police, non medical drama around and so that may have added to it's appeal. I do believe the first 12 episodes (yes, I know series 1 was 10 episodes - bear with me ) were tightly written and well acted. In truth, I think we do look at it with rose coloured glasses from after episode 2 series 2. For me, after that episode, it's as if a whole new bunch of writers and directors took over. I can't quite explain why. I know most fans feel there was a steady decline after the series 2 finale but, for me, the change happened earlier. I went with the flow and enjoyed series 2 and some of series 3 but the tone definately changed at the aformentioned point, for me. IMO they started with a solid set of actors. Unfortunately, as with the scripts, as each original actor left, they were replaced by less talented performers. This highlighted the decline in the scripts as well. In truth, Simone and Mandana were given some very dodgy lines and scenarios over the 3 seasons but their performances and chemistry helped gloss over that. Compare that to Roisin and Cassie and that other later pairing who followed. They were given similar lines and carbon copy scenes and it all seemed tacky. So, in summary, I guess I am saying that I think : a) the initial scripts were good with a strong cast b) the subject matter was refreshing change from cops and docs c) scripts declined after series 2 ep 2 d) original cast rose above declining scripts e) cast ability declined f) an element of rose coloured specs applies! What do others think?
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Post by jilly2000 on Oct 26, 2009 14:56:25 GMT -5
To the English folk on this board, did it do well in that regard?) Was it luck? Was it genuine talent? Was it the ability of certain actors to rise above the material that made it better than it might have been with lesser talent? Was it the idea that the subject matter was so "groundbreaking" (what an overused term!) that we were able/willing to overlook its weaknesses in other areas? Do we look back on Bad Girls through rose-tinted specs? In truth, I think we do look at it with rose coloured glasses from after episode 2 series 2. For me, after that episode, it's as if a whole new bunch of writers and directors took over. This highlighted the decline in the scripts as well. In truth, Simone and Mandana were given some very dodgy lines and scenarios over the 3 seasons but their performances and chemistry helped gloss over that. Good observation! Juvenile dialogs in Helen's bedroom on the sofa. Helen:I love you Nikki. Nikki:Enough to run away with me? Helen:Yeah, you know I do. The last 2 lines are ;D ;D Nikki:Can you lend me 20 for a cab atleast. Helen:No. I'll drive you. Nikki:Love it when you're bossy. I cringed at the last line.
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Post by jilly2000 on Nov 3, 2009 15:23:46 GMT -5
Some more dodgy (*)lines I thought were quite uncharacteristic of Nikki. Anyone agree/disagree/indifferent? Se2,Ep11 Helen: Listen I’ve got some good news. Nikki: Yeah? Helen: I’ve sent a copy of your file to a lawyer friend of mine. She wants to meet you. Nikki: She knows about my case? Helen: She thinks that you can appeal your sentence. *Nikki: I can’t believe it. You are joking. Wait till Fenner hears this. Helen: Ahh…Don’t wind him up. Why on earth would Nikki even care what Fenner thought about her getting the appeal? Se2, Ep12 *Nikki: But you can decide you wanna man as well. Helen: I won’t be dictated to when and how I can see my work colleagues. So you better stop thinking I’m so fickle and how I feel about you. I don’t know what to say regarding this line. Maybe somebody wants to have a go at or not. Few episodes later Helen does go to Thomas. .......................... *Nikki to Barbara: I’ve had affairs with straight women before. They don’t know what truth means. They’re so used to manipulating men. Don’t know why I thought she’d be any different. Talking of straight women manipulating men. Helen was not successful was she? where Thomas was concerned. He still leaves. He was not manipulable or something. Doesn't say much about her powers of persuasion. As much as he was attracted towards Helen it still was not tempting enough for him to stay. If she was not with him emotionally he didn’t want her even physically. ............................. Nikiki: Late night yesterday was it? SIR! Dominic: Look…… Nikki: Got what you wanted? ..Did you? Dominic: I know it was you that phoned….Nikki. Nikki: Hah! She shared that too with you, did she? Dominic: Another time…..(frustrated by Nikki’s attitude Dominic leaves the cell) *Nikki: YOU LITTLE SHIT! Nikki calling Dominic you little shit. I wonder if Mandana squirmed internally.
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Post by topcat on Nov 4, 2009 9:47:48 GMT -5
Hi Jilly
I agree about the Dominic scene. We know that Dominic knows it was Nikki who rang and she and Helen are romantically involved because Helen tells him. Nikki does not know this. All Nikki knows is that Dom was at Helen's flat when she rang and she put the receiver down before speaking. Why on earth would she, basically, tell another prison officer that she was involved with one of his colleagues - which is exactly what she does in this scene?
The cringeable lines to me are:
The whole 'taking Nikki back to prison' set of scene's in the car. Mandana is given some toe curling lines that basically consist of strange 'huh?', 'what'? type comments that seem as if they come from separate takes and badly edited together. Half the time her responses make no sense.
I hate the line in the first ever episode where Nikki says 'babes, go strut your stuff' (or similar) about the fashion show. It didn't stick out on first viewing because we barely knew who Nikki was but, on repeat viewing, it just doesn't sound right.
For me, one of the worst lines - that she managed to deliver as if it were Shakespeare - was 'when I thought I'd upset you, I didn't know how I could live'.............gawd that was a naff line.
I just think that, if you dissect a number of the lines Mandana and Simone had to deliver, they were really bad but their ability and chemistry helped gloss over the fact.
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Post by jilly2000 on Nov 4, 2009 21:34:15 GMT -5
I agree about the Dominic scene. We know that Dominic knows it was Nikki who rang and she and Helen are romantically involved because Helen tells him. Nikki does not know this. All Nikki knows is that Dom was at Helen's flat when she rang and she put the receiver down before speaking. Why on earth would she, basically, tell another prison officer that she was involved with one of his colleagues - which is exactly what she does in this scene? That's a good point you bring up. I think in this whole jealous phase Nikki's mind is less sharp and she seems to lose some grasp on reality. She forgets she's an inmate and has to be careful what she says. She just assumes Helen must've told him about them. Coz later on in the office she accuses Helen of telling Dominic about them. In the car Nikki talks strange..... a total prat... Dusty Springfield’s ugly sister....gormless gateman....... a right dizzy blonde. Also Mandana in a blonde wig.............Please no!!!!!!!! ;D Later on in the office when Helen tells her it’s over. Some of Nikki’s lines consist of the following: What? Don’t be mad. He’s a total bastard. This is just shit, Helen. Not for me. No way. We make our own choices. You coward. You don’t need me. All you want is an easy life. And Helen comes up with this bizarre response: Don’t hate me for it. That line was a bit silly considering Nikki was standing there in the corner looking disinterested and quite aloof. Especially coming from Nikki the witty sharp one. Yes, both Mandana and Simone did a fine portrayal. That made the Nikki/Helen love story so believable and enjoyable. ;D
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Post by topcat on Jun 15, 2011 6:13:25 GMT -5
Debra can be scratched from this list now. She is joining the cast of Waterloo Road to play the estranged wife of the Robson Green character - yes, Mr Twinkle is now working for Shed
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Post by coolbyrne on Jun 16, 2011 6:50:56 GMT -5
Debra can be scratched from this list now. She is joining the cast of Waterloo Road to play the estranged wife of the Robson Green character - yes, Mr Twinkle is now working for Shed That man does the weirdest things, I swear! Maybe he needs the cash so he can do more Extreme Fishing.
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Post by gingercat on Jun 17, 2011 15:35:43 GMT -5
I actually like Robson Green
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