issue 04 | February 2014

volume one

contents

Mob City by Joel Meadows

TV Lore: Officer Down Whatever Happened to the T.J. Hooker Movie? By John Bulll

The Vidiots Guide To: The Disappearance of Violence in British Childrens TV by Mark Bowsher

The Whole Story: Tales From The Crypt by Greg Porter

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A CTVT Preview Special : Black Sails by Joel Meadows

The Walking Dead S4 Part 2 by Greg Porter

The CTVT 2014 Preview by the CTVT Crew

Legends of Cult TV: Yoko Kanno by John Bull

contents

Bates Motel: Season One by Greg Porter

Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Greg Porter

Vikings: Season One by John Bull

Sherlock: Complete Third Series by Greg Porter

Sword Art Online: Part 2 by Matt Dillon

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The Tunnel by Hugh David

The Bridge: Series 2 by Jayne Nelson

Lilyhammer: Seasons 1 & 2 by John Bull

Online

C. competition

Cult TV Times Vol. Issue 4

Published by Boomstick MediaPublisher: Neville KingEditor: Hugh David (hugh@culttvtimes.com)Art Director: Thomas Ludewig (viraflay@googlemail.com)Web Guru: Gareth Edwards (gareth@culttvtimes.com)For advertising queries please contact: advertising@culttvtimes.com Cult TV Times: January 2014

Ripper Street: Series 2 by Hugh David

The combination of a number of high-profile shows coming to their end, coupled with the failure of newer shows from the same networks, has led some American critics to question if their recently-crowned Golden Age of television is already drawing to a close. Part of this argument centres on what does or does not qualify as prestige television. For those not following the discussion online, in the prestige camp are such shows as Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, while in the faux-prestige camp shows like The Killing remake, Hell On Wheels and The Bridge remake.One critic in particular cited AMCs one-season-and-cancelled espionage

drama Rubicon as a perfect example of the latter. The critical argument is that shows like it lack weight and are hollow, only dressed in the trappings of prestige, hence faux and unable to gain a wider audience. The latter is, of course, irrelevant to discussions of quality. Rubicon had some of the best writing and acting that year, and the direction was lean. Its greatest sin was in being too considered, treating its audience as grown-ups reading a novel, expecting a long-term commitment from them for the purpose of building characters, creating a complex larger picture and letting suspense burn slowly. Its failure was in relative terms; it achieved comparable ratings to Mad Mens first season, but by then AMC wanted Walking Dead numbers out of the gate, throwing out their original vision of nurturing a show into full strength over a couple of seasons.This new golden age seems to rest, at the core of the arguments, on the idea

that television is better the more like a certain era of cinema it becomes, which is a fallacy in itself; the two forms have interacted with each other constantly over time, and that is not about to stop as they become indistinguishable. By that definition, the best of USA Networks 80s-throwback shows dont qualify for this age; Id include Burn Notice and White Collar in any list of Great 21st Century TV at the very least, precisely for being 80s-styled telly. What good is a definition of prestige that ignores consistent quality achieved on a budget, a hallmark of great television past and present?The obsession with form has distracted critics from the content itself; the

U.S. remakes of Nordic Noirs are both well-conceived and executed, while Hell On Wheels manages to do new things with an old genre, but in a way that takes advantage of the best assets of the medium while seasoning with judicious borrowings from cinema. This is exactly what has made Nordic Noir so successful; The Killing works in large part because it is serialised content done so well, not because it is trying to be a weekly mini-movie. Within this is the mistaken idea that formula is a negative; it is a huge part of why we watch television and return episode after episode for more. Doing it well is as much a sign of quality as breaking with it; one is not automatically better than the other.

Hugh David [ Editor ]

The Myth Of A Golden Age

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return of the living dead...Greg Porter looks at Fox UKs Valentines gift to zombie fans

Brace yourselves, deadheads the fourth season of ABCs The Walking Dead will be shuffling back onto UK screens on February 10th, just 24 hours after the original Stateside transmission. That ought to make social media an altogether easier landscape to negotiate!Regular viewers will need no reminding that the

show has been on hiatus since the mid-season finale in December, and to be perfectly honest the break has done CTVT some good were only just capable of smiling again after the aptly-named events of Too Far Gone. The relentlessness nature of that episode probably shouldnt have come as any real surprise though, as this latest season has well and truly dialled the darkness up to eleven; what was always been a gloomy show has upped its game considerably to genuinely harrowing levels.Now, in the spirit of open communication, things

are about to get pretty spoilery up in here. If youre

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... what was always been a gloomy show has upped its game considerably to genuinely harrowing levels.

The cast of The Walking DeadThe Walking Dead2010 - present, 43 episodes AMC Film Holdings LLC

waiting for a Blu-ray binge of zombie goodness and havent watched any of the fourth season yet, we suggest you flick your finger and investigate another article in this fine tome. Or pop to your GP and ask for a Prozac prescription in anticipation chances are youll need it.Final warning. Still here? Good. Then you can share

CTVTs pain.Season 4 has been disturbing stuff, frequently tipping

into traumatic territory. Were not sure about you but weve actually found ourselves questioning if The Walking Dead still fun to watch, or if its becoming an ordeal. The show has managed to perform a very delicate balancing act until now, both in terms of its reverence for the source material and in tone as a slice of television entertainment. Being respectful to the basic construct and plots of the original comic books while treating characters in a different way has always been a brave move, and its one that has worked well for simultaneous viewers and readers; weve been wrong-footed several times by curveball decisions as to who lives and who dies. Meanwhile the constant reminders of the mortality of the cast have just about stayed on the right side of excess; we dont necessarily expect all these guys to make it, but we hope to god that they do, and despite them existing in a world surrounded by death, we still feel a sense of loss when we lose a cherished cast member. Thats the thing with survival horror, though;

people need to survive. If truly nobody is safe, and long-standing characters can be slaughtered in the blink of an eye with minimal remorse, the dramatic impact is deeply lessened. Is there really any point in getting emotionally invested in the show, taking the time to know new additions, when they might not even make it beyond three episodes? We guess well find out when the series returns for all this soapbox posturing, theres no way well be missing the shows homecoming on Fox UK. Making the arrogant assumption that youll be joining us, lets take a look back at the story so far.Season 4 opened with Rick enjoying an idyllic

life in the prison, a new man having relinquished

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The show has managed to perform a very delicate balancing act until now, both in terms of its reverence the source material and in tone as a slice of television entertainment.

Andrew Lincoln as Rick GrimesThe Walking Dead2010 - present, 43 episodes AMC Film Holdings LLC

the leadership role that was suffocating him so. Renouncing firearms and tending pigs is as good a life as any after a zombie apocalypse, we should imagine, but its evidently not for everyone the rest of Ricks company seemed to undergo some serious attitude adjustment after season 3s run-ins with The Governor. Carol seems to have experienced some kind of badass Sarah Connor-style fine-tuning, completing her transition from meek victim of domestic abuse to hardened soldier (a late bloomer indeed). Hershel at first appeared to have grown a new foot, until the discovery that it was in fact prosthetic events that unfolded in an online series of webisodes before the season aired. Youngsters Beth and Carl have hardened up, showing no fear, shedding no tears, and seemingly forsaking all emotion. Michonne and Daryl remain two of the most likable characters on television today, and the busload of new arrivals shipped in from Woodbury at the end of season 3 all seem determined to cause trouble in their own ways. Season 4 has so far has been a season of two halves (or

a half season of two halves, if you prefer), with a very different pair of plots dominating the opening eight instalments. Tranquil life in the prison could never last long, and it was inevitable that internal conflict would soon begin to tear the group apart. Carols actions that led to her expulsion were shocking but ultimately understandable; as somebody who had seen and lost so much, deciding that evasive action was the way forward could be comprehended, if not condoned. Sadly it was all for nought anyway the strain of flu that debilitated the camp, costing many their lives, was the main narrative thrust of the first handful of episodes. If truth be told it was a plot thread that grew a little dull and was probably dragged out an episode too far, but alls well that ends well; it set up a handful of episodes that covered the return of The Governor.It was the last three episodes of the season so far

Live Bait, Dead Weight and the aforementioned Too Far Gone, that have been particularly agonisingly compelling viewing. Watching the former despot ingratiate himself with the Chambler family was

initially tense, then captivating. Would he show his true colours, or is this slightly-awkward pseudo family man the real Governor, a fundamentally decent man driven to his wits end by the situation he found himself in? We all know the answer to this now. Or lets be honest, we all knew the answer all along we just dared to hope for a ray of light in the cocoon of darkness that this show has become. Once again, we found ourselves swept along with the charismatic psychopath and his increasingly horrific actions (we know opinion is divided on this issue, but here at CTVT we happen to think that David Morrissey was a fine casting choice for this most complex of roles), but once again we find ourselves wondering if Too Far Gone wasnt well, going too far. From the moment we saw that Flash Flood sign our stomachs lurched, and things didnt get any more enjoyable from then for characters involved in the prison bloodbath that followed that truly stomach-churning scene or those of us that watched it.You may be wondering why were persevering with

the rest of Season 4 after all this bellyaching, and we should probably point out all the things that The Walking Dead still does very, very well. The performances remain exemplary in most cases (though it may benefit Andrew Lincoln to learn a new facial expression Rick Grimes has been through the mire somewhat, and seems to permanently look like hes pulled a muscle in his back), and some of the writing based on interpersonal conflict it seems that, more than ever, its humans that are infinitely more dangerous than zombies in this world is quite excellent. Its this quality that keeps us coming back for more, despite feeling that its really not beneficial for our mental health on a Monday. Matters have been left on hell of a cliffhanger ahead of the shows return though, so it will be fascinating to see where showrunner Scott Gimple and his team take us next. We just recommend preparing yourselves; it may be a place you wish you hadnt gone.

The Walking Dead returns 10th February on Fox UK.

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the films and filmmakers that excite and inspire us.

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VVrit Magazine

Vrit is a digital monthly magazine dedicated to offbeat, independent and foreign-language cinema.

Our motivation is simple to provide a platform for interesting, provocative film criticism and discussion of

the films and filmmakers that excite and inspire us.

www.veritefilmmag.com

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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE T. J. HOOKER MOVIE?

John Bull kicks off our new TV Lore strand with a look at the ongoing failure to get cult cop show T. J. Hooker onto the big screen

OFFICER DOWN

t is a wet winter day in 1993 and, in a secondary school somewhere in deepest, darkest Hertfordshire, three boys are sitting outside the headmasters office. They are awaiting punishment for breaking a batch of newly-delivered classroom tables. After what feels like

hours, the three boys - of which this author was one - are summoned in to answer for their crimes.

So to clarify, says the headmaster, without looking up from the notes handed to him by his secretary, you were caught running and sliding across the new tables in the maths block, breaking the tops off a number of them whilst shouting what does this say?

Um T. J. Hooker! Sir.T. J. Hooker? asks the headmaster, finally looking up.We were doing Hooker slides, sir, explains one of the

boys weakly, you know, like T. J. Hooker does across car bonnets.

A long silence follows, one in which the trio collectively begin to realise just how many detentions their futures are likely to contain. Finally, the headmaster speaks.

Gentlemen, he deadpans, I think we can all agree on one thing and it is this: none of you are like William Shatner.

The headmaster was right of course, we were not like William Shatner - no one is. But the incident serves as an effective reminder as to why his legacy has been so enduring - there is more to Shatner than Star Trek, there is Boston Legal and there is T. J. Hooker.

Running for five seasons in the early eighties (and repeated many times since), T. J. Hooker starred William Shatner as the eponymous LCPD police sergeant, who leaves behind a career in the plain-clothes division after the death of his partner and returns to the life of a beat cop. Created by genre legend Rick Husky, T. J. Hooker stood out from other police dramas of the time by taking a grittier, more action packed approach to to its stories, with Shatners turn as the tough, no-nonsense Hooker winning him fans well outside of his traditional science fiction fan base.

It was this fan base which ensured that when, in 2008, rumours began to circulate that a T. J. Hooker movie

IWilliam Shatner, Heather Locklear and James DarrenT. J. Hooker 1982-1986, 89 Episodes Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

William Shatner, Heather Locklear, Adrian Zmed and James DarrenT. J. Hooker 1982-1986, 89 Episodes Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

T. J. Hooker stood out from other police dramas of the time by taking a grittier, more action packed approach to its stories

was in the offing, a considerable amount of excitement and discussion ensued both on the internet and beyond. Was the rumour real? Would Shatner reprise his original role? If so how could the star, now long in years, hope to emulate his more athletic younger self? Would Heather Locklear, who had so memorably featured in the programme from its second series onwards, do the same?

By 2009 some of these questions seemed on the verge of being answered. In July of that year Variety magazine confirmed that the movie was in development, with Mask of Zorro producer David Foster and original series creator/showrunner Rick Husky casting a watchful eye over proceedings as producers, whilst Scorpion King and The Mask director Chuck Russell was in talks to take

the helm. As if that wasnt enough, Variety revealed that Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson, the writing partnership behind the likes of Short Circuit, Tremors and *batteries not included, had already produced a story concept.

For every question that the Variety piece answered though, it seemed to pose one more. For a start the film was described as focusing on the relationship between the title character and his father which seemed to suggest that the intention was to reboot T. J. Hooker completely, as had been done with Starsky and Hutch and The Dukes of Hazzard a few years earlier. If this was the case then who would play Hooker, and would there be a role for Shatner at all? Time, it seemed, would be the only thing that would provide the answers to those questions. Instead, however, something strange happened - the movie disappeared completely. We never heard about T. J. Hooker - The Movie again.

In an industry where a thousand scripts and movie projects are killed off each year, you could be forgiven for asking what makes the failure of T. J. Hooker to appear on our cinema screens so special. The answer, though, is simple: movie projects, especially those of the pedigree and interest level that T. J. Hooker attracted, rarely simply disappear. More often than not they instead leave ripples on the Hollywood pond as they go. Writers and directors are attached and then leave. Cast announcements are made and withdrawn. Both then and now, a long stay in production hell is almost guaranteed, with a project kept on life-support and reawakened years later when something similar does well at the box office. None of these things happened with the T. J. Hooker movie. Instead it simply vanished.

T. J. Hooker? says accomplished scriptwriter David Hughes, Yes Hooker was interesting.

At the time Hughes was working with producer David Foster on other projects, but as the rumours began to circulate that a T. J. Hooker film might be in the works and more importantly, at least from Hughes perspective, that Foster was one of the leading forces behind it, Hughes found himself begging for the opportunity to pitch. Ive always been a T. J. Hooker fan, explains Hughes, and just knowing that it was there that it might be on the table how could I not try and get involved?

William Shatner, Heather Locklear, Adrian Zmed and James DarrenT. J. Hooker 1982-1986, 89 Episodes Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

If this was the case then who would play Hooker, and would there be a role for Shatner at all?

Initially, Hughes requests to pitch were politely rebuffed. Husky had clear ideas as to what he wanted from the story and he had already worked with Maddock and Wilson to firm those up. Even if that writing partnership had no intention of taking that story forward into full script form themselves, Husky was far from convinced that Hughes was the right man for the job.

Hughes, however, refused to be deterred and, finally, was granted the opportunity to pitch to Husky himself. He was aware it would be a daunting experience. T. J. Hooker wasnt the only major success on Huskys CV - a stalwart accomplice of Aaron Spelling he had also produced the likes of Charlies Angels and Walker Texas Ranger, and had many writing credits of his own to his name. Despite this, Hughes was convinced that given the chance to meet Husky face to face he would emerge successful. In part because of his personal knowledge of (and love for) the original series, but also because he believed his take on updating T. J. Hooker as an action/comedy likely coincided with Huskys own. He also felt he had an ace up his sleeve.

My own father was a cop in the 70s, he says. I thought Rick Husky would like that.

Hughes, it soon turned out, was right. He won the pitch, and the writing process officially began. They had a story treatment from Brent Maddox and S.S. Wilson, explains Hughes, giving some insight into the state of the project when he came on board in 2009, but I was the first writer to pen a draft.

The story was basically T. J. Hooker, Jr. being a cop in the shadow of his legendary father, who comes out of retirement to help his son with a case that only he can help solve. They wanted the bad guys to be Japanese, and there was a kind of loose story structure which Husky, Maddox and Wilson had worked out together, but as my draft went along, it departed further from the template and went in its own direction, guided by Rick Husky. For my part, aside from wanting to nail the comedy, and the universality of the father/son relationship (any son wants his father to be proud of him, or has grown up in the shadow of a successful father), I was determined that the bad guys wouldn't know they were in a comedy so the jeopardy was real, as in the Beverly Hills Cop and the

Lethal Weapon films. T.J. Hooker Jr. and his dad were funny, as characters and in situations, but the threat was genuine, and the bad guys were badasses.

Hughes description of the plot fills in some of the blanks left by the Variety piece, but the key question remains - was Shatner on board?

Here, Hughes is emphatic. The role of T. J. Hooker Jr. was up for grabs, with the names of Kevin James, Seth Rogen and Zak Galifianakis all circulated. As far as everyone involved was concerned, however, just who should play Hooker Snr. was non-negotiable. Shatner was T. J. Hooker. Indeed, just how intrinsic Shatners presence was is perhaps summed up best when Hughes reveals that the final version of the script featured a key scene in a Yakuza Karaoke bar, where Hooker Snr. defuses a dangerous situation by performing Eminems Lose Yourself from 8 Mile in Shatners trademark spoken-word style. Amusingly this perhaps explains why the song showed up, seemingly randomly, on Shatners iTunes playlist in 2010 - he may well have begun his own research.

Rick Husky was great, Hughes says, he and Shatner go back decades, and he (Rick) was very keen to get the project moving before Shatner turned 80, as he knew it would be difficult to insure him for an action film at that age. But Rick always said, make no mistake, Bill is totally

I was determined that the bad guys wouldn't know they were in a comedy so the jeopardy was real, as in the Beverly Hills Cop and the Lethal Weapon films.

22

capable I was told to write to his character, not his age, because Rick knew when it came to showtime, Bill would be up to it.

Shatner himself, by all accounts, was also keen to be involved. We made an announcement [about the T. J. Hooker movie] to see if anybody would jump at it. Shatner explained in an online interview earlier this year. But nobody jumped at it. Id love to do it! I really would!

With arguably the only indispensable cast member keen to be involved, and general agreement over both the plot and direction, it seemed that the last remaining piece of the puzzle was to get an initial script. By June 2010 that too seemed to be in place. I would write 15-20 pages, and then send them over to Rick Husky and David Foster, and they would come back to me with notes on those pages, while I was busy moving forward, says Hughes of the nine month writing process. It was a "two steps forward, one step back" kind of approach, but it worked by the time I hit THE END, it felt like we had written five or six drafts and had the script in a good place.

It was at this point, however, that the project finally, and abruptly, came to sudden end - a subject on which Hughes is finally able to shed some light. For although there were likely a number of reasons for its demise, one thing more than anything else sticks in Hughes mind. I delivered the script about a week before The A-Team opened and tanked, he says with noticeable sadness, at which point, Rick Husky basically put the project back in a drawer, probably forever. I guess he figured he didn't want to be part of a revival of T. J. Hooker that flopped at the box office, and The A-Team scared him off.

It was a disappointing decision but, as Hughes agrees, perhaps an understandable one. T. J. Hooker was a series that Husky had always expressed a great deal of personal affection for, and the thought of seeing it fail on the big screen would have been a hard one to take. It is also tempting to suspect that, increasingly advanced in age, the possibility that one of his final big projects might end in a failure would have made Husky more risk averse. That Husky could kill the project so effectively finally answers the question as to why the T. J. Hooker movie disappeared so quickly and completely. It also answers just why it was

possible for it to do so. This wasnt a studio-led production, explains Hughes.

Husky owned all the rights.To begin with, this had proven to be a huge advantage.

It gave Husky, and by extension Hughes, the freedom and luxury of being able to push T. J. Hooker down a conceptual path that the both felt did justice to the original series, and with Shatners enthusiasm and the general credibility of the brand the chances of a studio not joining the project to take things forward at the appropriate time were relatively low. Ultimately, though, it meant that Husky had absolute power over the fate of the film - and when he decided to back out, that meant it was over.

This also helps to explain why talk of the T. J. Hooker movie has never surged back into life again as other successful buddy-cop shows and films (such as 21 Jump Street and Brooklyn Nine-Nine) have come and gone - something on which Hughes has mixed feelings. These things always go in cycles and it's par for the course that, since I worked on T.J. Hooker, several cop comedies including The Other Guys and The Heat have come around, along with the ones you mention. So now, even with 22 Jump Street on the horizon, it feels like it isn't quite as fresh.... On the other hand, it feels more timely!

There is also one other barrier now to any attempted revival - Shatners age. Back in 2009, it was already clear that Shatners age meant there was potentially a narrow window in which to get production under way, for at 78 years of age insurance was likely to be an issue. With the actor now 82 that opportunity may well have now passed completely.

Despite this, however, Hughes himself has no regrets. If you get a chance to play in someone else's sandbox, especially on a series you loved as a kid, and bring it back in a way that would feel totally right that was a great experience. He admits with a smile, I pitched hard for it, got the gig, and had nine months of free film school while these great producers guided me through the pages I just wish I'd come aboard a little bit earlier so we had a chance to give it a real shot, rather than waiting till Bill was nearly 80.

ReviewsBates Motel: Season One

Vikings: Season One

Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Sword Art Online: Part 2

Sherlock: Complete Third Series

The Tunnel

The Bridge: Series 2

Ripper Street: Series 2

Lilyhammer: Seasons 1 & 2

Region: U.K. ] Format: Blu-ray ] Review by: John Bull

Vikings: The Complete First Season

Official Synopsis

Journey to a thrilling ancient world in this epic new series about historys bravest and most brutally fearsome warriors... Vikings. Ragnar, a would-be Viking chieftain, longs to fulfil his destiny as an explorer and conqueror, alongside his ambitious brother Rollo and loyal wife Lagertha. But as Ragnar leads daring raids in distant realms across the ocean, treacherous forces in his Norse homeland conspire against him. Faced with shocking betrayals and the temptations of a mysterious seductress, Ragnar must wage war on the battlefield and within himself to protect his freedom, family and life.

Review [N.B. Parts of this review were published first on the Cult TV Times website. Ed.]

For cable and satellite television, exclusive programming has long been considered a mark of legitimacy. This was something that Sky realised early on, and whilst their erstwhile rival Super Channel concentrated on acquiring repeat rights

Vikings is most definitely not historically accurate."

for series like Doctor Who and Blakes 7, Sky ensured that their early fare included some exclusive international acquisitions. It is a belief that continues to this day, with Freeview comedy staple Dave picking up the rights to produce new episodes of both Red Dwarf and Yes Minister in recent years.It is therefore perhaps no surprise that, as the

various legitimate streaming services for both film and TV online have come of age, they too have begun to recognise the value that exclusive broadcasting rights can bring. For Netflix it was House of Cards. For Crunchyroll it was Space Brothers. Now, for LoveFilm, it is Vikings.Perhaps it is best to begin this review by first

establishing what Vikings is not. Although originally produced by History in the US (representing yes, you guessed it - the channels first foray into self-produced drama), Vikings is most definitely not historically accurate. Although it pulls heavily on the general mythos, and

indeed literature, of Norse history it has no qualms about throwing accuracy into the wind for the sake of the plot. Horned helmets are mercifully absent, and the writers clearly have a copy of Ibn Fadlans travel writings floating around the office (or at least 13th Warrior on DVD). The Norse historians amongst you - of which we have no doubt there are many will also spot that the series features an entire episode based on Adam of Bremens description of human sacrifice at Uppsala. Yet for all this, there are plenty of elements that raise eyebrows. The series begins with the premise that, ahead of the Lindisfarne raid, the Vikings were largely unaware of the existence of Britain to the west. Its use of a sunstone for navigation, portrayal of Viking law and government and the presence of shamanism are also elements tthat are there largely for the benefit of the narrative.Make no mistake, Vikings is no more loyal to its

historical setting than The Tudors or Rome. The history of mediaeval northern Europe provides a framework in which the series drama can be played out, rather than a rigid rulebook which must be

obeyed, but once Vikings is accepted on those terms, it has to be said that it is actually rather good. Comprising nine forty-five minute episodes in total,

the series follows the rise of Ragnar Lothbrok from farmer and frustrated raider (Ragnar wishes to sail west to raid the mythical land of Britain, his more risk-averse Earl prefers to go east) to earldom. Woven around this are the stories of Rollo, Ragnars brother, and Lagertha, Ragnars wife and a Viking warrior in her own right. Of the various interlocking plots, Ragnars tale is

inherently the most complex. The series manages to convey his journey from charismatic leader of a small band of men, to an Earl who is perhaps slightly out of his depth on the larger stage, with a surprising amount of heft. This is certainly helped by Travis Fimmel, who puts in one of the shows standout performances as Ragnar. Fimmel manages to take a character that in the wrong hands could have been decidedly one-dimensional and inject just enough insecurity to make Ragnar realistic.By contrast Clive Standens turn as Rollo is less

assured. Loyal to his brother, but desperate for fame and glory in his own right (and in love with Ragnars wife) Rollos story is one that, on paper at least, should make for solid viewing. It never quite seems to really gather pace, however, with Standens shifts between

Although it pulls heavily on the general mythos, and indeed literature, of Norse history it has no qualms about throwing accuracy into the wind for the sake of the plot.

loyal brother and jealous rival sometimes feeling a bit too black and white. There is promise there though, and by the series end it is clear that the writers have greater things in mind for the character. The fact that he shares a name with the first Viking Duke of Normandy is almost certainly not a coincidence, and so we must hope for greater things to come from both character and actor.Completing the three ostensible leads, Katheryn

Winnick puts in a solid performance as Ragnars wife (and Rollos obsession), Lagertha. Like Fimmel, Winnick manages to raise her character above the warrior by day, wife by night role that it could easily have become in less able hands. In this she is clearly aided by the writing if Ragnars journey is one from confident warrior to unsure leader, then Lagerthas is the exact opposite, a contrast that is clearly deliberate and which alone should make the second series, now officially greenlit by History, interesting viewing.Vikings, of course, is ultimately an ensemble piece,

and whilst it may fall to Fimmel, Standen and Winnick to carry the weight of the plot, they are ably supported in this by fine casting elsewhere. Gabriel Byrnes

performance as Ragnars rival, Earl Haraldson, is as solid as one might expect, although he is arguably outshone by Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig (of Glee fame) as his wife. As with Winnick, and once again aided by the writing, Gilsig manages to take her character well beyond what in other hands could have become more of a background role.If there is a real star-turn in Vikings, however, then it

comes from Gustaf Skarsgrd, another son of award-winning actor Stellan. He is his own man though, once again proving that Scandinavia is a real hotbed of TV acting talent. Skarsgrds performance as Floki - slightly unhinged shipbuilder, cold warrior and friend to Ragnar is excellent. Skarsgrd manages somehow to imbue Floki with a combination of intensity and wry amusement that positively leaps out of the screen. In his hands Floki becomes the epitome of someone who is dangerous to know, but at the same time the most loyal friend a man could ever have.Visually speaking, Vikings largely hits its mark as

well. The series visual marker is clearly Game of Thrones, something its not always too subtle about hiding be prepared for extensive shots of slightly

If there is a real star-turn in Vikings, however, then it comes from Gustaf Skarsgrd, another son of award-winning actor Stellan.

ominous black birds, for example. A lot of thought has clearly been given, however, to working out how to capture that feel with a smaller budget. The decision to shoot in Ireland was an excellent one, as it allows the location and sets to carry more of the visual weight than special effects. The camera work is similarly clever, helping, on occasion, to make the world of Vikings feel more heavily occupied than it actually is. Indeed, so accomplished is the series at this that it comes as quite a jolt when it occasionally falls short noticeably a battle between Ragnars men and a Northumbrian army that looks like it would struggle to fill out the away end at a non-League football game, let alone defend one of mediaeval Britains most powerful kingdoms.Ultimately, when taken as a complete package,

Vikings is well worth watching. As Historys and indeed LoveFilms - first real foray into exclusive drama it is incredibly impressive, and by the end of the series it is impossible not to be pleased that it has been given a second series in which to develop further. It is a series that is consistently good, with occasional flashes of greatness. Indeed perhaps what is most enjoyable of all is that the reasons for those moments of greatness are surprisingly diverse sometimes it will be a plot turn, sometimes a moment of action. Sometimes it will just be because Vikings manages not to fall into the clichs and tropes that we have seen so often before. For most series an episode focused on human sacrifice would be a groan-worthy experience, yet Vikings manages to make it one of the most interesting and well-shot episodes in its run.

Video & Audio

Superb - one of the best transfers for a modern TV series in a while in both areas. This suggests Fox U.K. have had the good sense to use the same master as in the U.S., which has been attracting equally stellar praise. They rival Warner now for utter reliability in the quality department when it comes to new HD TV releases.

Extras

This is good, solid set duplicating everything on the U.S. set. Season opening and closing episodes benefit from commentaries, the first from creator Michael Hirst and cast member Jessalyn Gilsig, the second from cast members Katheryn Winnick and Clive Standen. The former gives a lot of insight into the making of the show, the latter adds hints at the second season, already filming when this was recorded.Three featurettes ranging from 12 to 20 minutes

cover their chosen areas in some depth: A Warrior Society: Viking Culture and Law, Birth of the Vikings and Forging the Viking Army: Warfare and Tactics. There are also a handful of deleted scenes, trims to ones in the episodes as presented, and two interactive charts: The Armory of the Vikings and Conquest and Discovery: Journey of the Vikings. All in all, just what a series like this deserves, although fans with a taste for more will want to go deeper still; not a problem considering the amount of research and materials available.

Summary

Much of the press that has surrounded Vikings focused on trying to cast it in the Game of Thrones mould, an activity that arguably LoveFilms own press releases did not do much to discourage. There are similarities, certainly, but anyone watching it with that expectation is likely to be slightly disappointed - and that would be a shame as there is both quality, and potential, to be found here in equal measure. Instead, a better analogy, for CTVT readers with long memories at least, would be that eighties classic Robin of Sherwood. Vikings has the same mix of history and occasional mysticism, the same tension between the dreams of the writers and the budgets they are working with, and the same understanding that the acting talent should not just be confined to your leads.

Title: Vikings: The Complete First Season Label: 20th Century Fox HERelease date: 3rd February 2014Format: Blu-rayVideo format: 1080pAspect Ratio: 1.78:1Soundtracks: DTS-HD MA 5.1: English/Norse/SaxonSubtitles: English, English SDH, French, SpanishRuntime: 408 minutes + extrasNo. of discs: 3 x BD-50 Packaging: Standard 3-disc blu-ray keep case, slipcaseRegion Coding: Region BRating: BBFC 18

Region: U. K. ] Format: DVD ] Review by: Greg Porter

Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D

Official Synopsis

From the writer of the Dark Knight Trilogy and Man of Steel comes Nick Furys action-packed adventure! Movie icon David Hasselhoff stars as the hard-boiled, cigar-chomping director of S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), an ultra-secret counterterrorism strike force. Fury is called upon when his latest nemesis, the sexy, sinister Viper, hatches a plan to annihilate all of Manhattan. Armed with a stockpile of high-tech weapons, Fury is the citys only hope in the full-length debut of this Marvel Comics hero!

1998 was a gala year for David Goyer, and for comic book adaptations.

Content review

1998 was a gala year for David Goyer, and for comic book adaptations. A genre in the doldrums following the infamous catastrophe of Batman & Robin, Goyer changed the face of filmed entertainment when he brought a C-list Marvel character to the screen in shape of a washed up action hero. But sure, while Blade has gone down in cinema history, all True Believers know that the real spandex story and highlight of Goyers year was Nick Fury: Agent of H.O.F.F.This was a curious time for funnybook flicks - an

era before superstar artist Bryan Hitch had used Samuel L. Jackson as a photo reference for Nick Fury in game-changing book The Ultimates, and when Joss Whedon was far too busy to even contemplate his own take on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Younger readers may find it hard to imagine these characters were held in such low regard, but things are always darkest before the dawn and matters had to get pretty pitch black for David Hasselhoff to be selected to bring cigar-chomping cyclopean commander Nick Fury to life in a TV movie. Nobody is quite sure why this one-off outing was

made, as it seemingly never threatened to lead to a series despite a handful of hopeful loose ends left dangling. The why doesnt actually matter though; what does is that this glorious slice of high camp is finally back in the public consciousness with a DVD release. News to cherish for a certain kind of CTVT reader, as when viewed in the right frame of mind, this is the most entertaining slice of superheroism this side of the Bill Dozier Batman. Filmed before Hasselhoff became a by-word

for ironic kitsch, the former Baywatcher is magnificently terrible in the lead, providing such a masterclass in growling, snarling and inelegant delivery of one-liners that even his designer stubble somehow seems to be overacting. Even The Hoff is outhammed by Sandra Hess though, the stunning Swiss one-time Sonya Blade who cackles, hisses

Younger readers may find it hard to imagine these characters were held in such low regard, but things are always darkest before the dawn...

Title: Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D

Label: 101 FilmsCertificate: 12Release Date: 1998Format: DVDVideo Format: PALAspect Ratio: 16:9Soundtrack(s): English Stereo 2.0Subtitle(s): NoneRun Time: 90 minutesNumber of Discs: 1Packaging: Keep CaseRegion Coding: Region 2

and hip-wiggles her way through her role as Viper, the Teutonic terrorist head of Hydra (though its still an immeasurably better performance than Svetlana Khodchenvoka in The Wolverine). Soap superstar Lisa Rinna fares a little better as Furys sidekick/love interest, but its the overplaying that makes this TV movie so much fun; we genuinely get the impression that the cast had as much fun making this brash and silly lark as youll have watching it.The first four-colour adaptation of Goyers career

(if you ignore The Crow: City of Angels, which we consider to be sage advice in all walks of life), and jauntily directed by Aussie TV veteran Rod Hardy, Nick Fury points to the green shoots of the scribes future career. A zippy, basic and genuinely enjoyable (though thoroughly stupid) plot revolving around Fury defying authority and saving the world against the clock frames countless comic book tropes tossed cavalierly at the wall, with psychic soldiers, a Dirty Dozen-style army of valiant agents, larger than life high-kicking euro-villains and some utterly teeth-grinding tuff guy dialogue making for a delectably OTT 90 minutes of noisy nonsense, with some impressive special effects for a project of this ilk.

Video & Audio

Picture and sound are perfectly serviceable, considering the source material.

Summary

Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D is irredeemable baloney when viewed from any kind of objective critical standpoint its stupid, loud and abysmally acted. Of course these are all the reasons why its also heartily recommended; camper than Christmas at John Barrowmans house, it would take the hardest hearts not to be moved by the jolly honesty and good intentions of this chintzy superhero caper.

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Region: U.K. ] Format: Blu-ray ] Review by: Hugh David

The Tunnel: Series 1

Official Synopsis

When a prominent French politician is found dead on the border between the UK and France, detectives Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane) and Elise Wassermann (Clmence Posy) are sent to investigate on behalf of their respective countries. However, as the case takes a surreal turn, a series of elaborate killings force the French and British police into uneasy partnership. Despite cultural divides, they find common ground in the race to stop a serial killer who has no boundaries. Using increasingly ingenious methods to highlight five 'truths' about our morally bankrupt society, the murderer draws Karl and Elise ever deeper into a powerful, personal and deadly agenda.

A compelling and sophisticated thriller set against the backdrop of Europe in crisis, from the makers of Broadchurch, Spooks and Life on Mars.

The remake is a thing of interest, often causing internet-fuelled fan hatred, but mostly due to commercial necessity.

Review

The remake is a thing of interest, often causing internet-fuelled fan hatred, but mostly due to commercial necessity. However much dedicated fans of one culture or another wish the majority of their fellow viewers would enjoy the same thing as them, the truth is that, if they did, then the fan-favourite would no longer be cult, but mainstream, and those dedicated few would be passionate about something else. We can all make lists of those remakes we think succeed and those that dont, but ultimately, some criteria need to be established in order to make some critical determinations.With The Tunnel, the second adaptation of Nordic

Noir Bron/Broen aka The Bridge (after the U. S. one), the Anglo producers (we hear little or nothing from the French side on this disc barring co-lead Clemence Poesy and a few words from pilot director Dominik Moll) seem to have their criteria pretty clear: adapt the original so that (a) it reflects Anglo-French cultural and political concerns in place of the Swedish-Danish original; (b) the issues the Truth Terrorist highlights are more appropriate to (a); and (c) to change a number of twists and character arcs so that viewers of the original can still enjoy this version. By their own standards, do they succeed?Sadly, not quite. A good stab is made at serious

drama here, one that also changes enough from the original to make it fresh for a viewer familiar with both. Without a doubt the cast are the key here, the leads doing excellent work; Stephen Dillane and Clmence Posy almost make one forget the fantastic Sofia Hellin and Kim Bodnia almost. Dillane in particular gets the best TV role hes had in ages and runs with it, making his DCI Karl Roebuck an interesting man and a worthy successor to Bodnias Martin Rodhe and Demian Bichirs Marco Ruiz.Posy does something different with her Elise

Wasserman from Hellins Saga Norn, less childlike, slightly more fragile, but also gets to be tough in a different way. The cross-channel barbs that pepper the conversations replace the more professionally-

based conflicts of the original, while the run-down look of Folkestone and Calais, and the dark grey of the Eurotunnel itself, stand in stark contrast to the utterly gorgeous architecture and visuals of Bron/Broen. Some of the later crimes are chilling, in particular a man being set on fire in a dismal modern shopping street, the warmth of the flames standing out against the desaturated cold blues of the rest of the shot.Where the series falls down is that in trying too hard

to be different, it actually fails to be different enough where it really counts. Changing certain characters and plotlines is to be expected; the U. S. version of The Bridge did the same, turning one character from a semi-regular into a regular with much more important links to the wider case. The Tunnel ends up rushing certain arcs in order to leave room to come up with a very different backstory to connect the relevant parties; however, this proves to be less than necessary, as the main plotline is still followed. The decision not to make explicit Wassermans mental condition, at the opposite end of the spectrum from the U. S. series clear statement and treatment of Diane Krugers Sonya Cross, robs some of the final confrontation of its crucial motivation. It also allows the director of the final episode to have her do something that would be totally out of character for someone with her condition, but looks good on-screen in that way directors think audiences need when characters are using their brains and doing hard work that doesnt look glamorous on-screen.

Dillane in particular gets the best TV role hes had in ages and runs with it...

In fact, much of what was under-stated or under-played in the original here is over-stated and over-emphasised, a fault that can only be laid at the feet of the writing staff and the directors. There are two episodes in the middle, Episodes 5 and 6, that are actually perfect examples of how well this show could work, and both were directed by Hettie MacDonald (Curtain: Poirots Last Case, Doctor Who: Blink, and the 1996 film Beautiful Things); she brings an eye to her set-ups and compositions that just lifted everything everyone else was trying to do. The other thing that shows the potential of the show are two sequences not from the original; the sequence where Karl & Elisa use Sophie to try and draw out the killer in episode 5, and the sequence with Elisa kidnapped by former elite police unit members in episode 8. The former was utterly riveting, tense with uncertainty and foreboding; the latter was something weve never seen before, a revelatory expositional conversation that turns into an exciting action sequence cleverly shot entirely from inside the one room (well done to the French director and crew on that one!). Both of these suggest that in order to really succeed on its own terms, the series needed to dig deeper into its chosen setting to find the real differences from the original and build upon them, as the U. S. version has done exceedingly well.

Video & AudioExcellent on both counts. Along with last years The Fall and Broadchurch Special Edition, Acorn are proving to be dab hands at HD releases, making one wish they did more of them as they do in the U. S. (The Great Train Robbery in particular would be ideal, although The Bletchley Circle and Line of Duty would be welcome too.)

Extras45 minutes of extras include a quarter-of-an-hour Making Of that actually only covers the first episode and is more a promotional piece for Eurotunnel than for the series, and half an hour of the cast & crew

Title: The Tunnel

Label: AcornRelease date: 27th January 2014Format: Blu-ray (also out on DVD) Video format: 1080pAspect Ratio: 16:9Soundtracks: DTS-HD MA 5.1: English & French; PCM Stereo: English & FrenchSubtitles: English for French dialogue; English HOHRuntime: 508 mins + extrasNo. of discs: 2 x BD-50Packaging: 2-disc blu-ray keep caseRegion Coding: Region BRating: BBFC 15

interviews from which clips were sourced for the Making Of. The latter provide a better glimpse into the creation and production of the show, although almost completely from the English side of it, which is a shame.

ConclusionTheres no doubt that this is a well-made, well-acted show, if not necessarily as well-conceived as its makers think it is. For those not interested in seeing the original Nordic show, the preservation of most of the original story beats and plot twists means a fine degree of suspense and the final tragedy are all still there to be enjoyed, although half of it is still subtitled. Nordic Noir fans will need to make some considerable effort to get the most out of this given that fact, however. Certainly, if a sequel were made, it would be a real pleasure to see Dillane and Posy back on our screen, preferably with a completely original storyline to make utterly their own.

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