David Knox really wishes the BBC would take a few directorial tips from 24.
The publicity material for The State Within promises much: a six part BBC drama about terrorism on American soil from its own allies and agencies, with one of the leading roles even given to Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey).
In the first ten minutes there’s a mammoth set piece as a passenger jet comes crashing down on a Washington freeway. It’s a thrilling, spectacular opening to what looks like a vast series.
And yep, from there it’s all downhill, folks.
Leading the tale is Mark Brydon (Jason Isaacs), UK Ambassador to Washington, who must appease the Americans when it becomes clear that British-national Muslims are complicit in the attack. Isaacs, best known as Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter, resembles a restrained Timothy Dalton clone. Facing a major crisis, he talks an awful lot. You’ll soon be longing for Bond or Kiefer Sutherland.
Gless plays the US Secretary for Defense, channelling her best Madeleine Albright, an iron lady who loves to power dress. Shooting from the hip, there are moments when you would swear the feisty Debbie from Queer As Folk was actually the Goddamn Secretary for Defense. Contrasting the polite Brits, she’s something of a blessing here.
The third lead is Nicholas Brocklehurst (Ben Daniels), British Counsellor for External Affairs, a conspiratorial civil servant supporting his government while actually commandeering its downfall. Daniels reminded a friend watching the DVD preview with me of his ex-boyfriend –so it wasn’t hard to be convinced of him as a villain. But I digress…
The story segregates into almost as many locations and sub-plots as an episode of Heroes. Not enough happens in this first hour. Washington, Virginia, Florida… I didn’t really care. British storytelling is characteristically less emotive and histrionic than American. Whilst the Brits usually excel in steely performances, here everyone feels terribly sterile and dry. Apparently several cast members said they had to re-read the script several times just to understand the convoluted plot.
Oh, and did I mention the gay thread that feels contrived and imposed for mere shock effect? You can look out for that while you also play ‘pick-the-continuity-error’ or grab motion-sickness pills to offset the frenetic hand-held camera work.
If this gets better with subsequent episodes let me know. I’ll be watching 24. The State Within premieres 8:30pm Thursday May 1 on ABC.
TV Guide
FRIDAY 18
[Ten/12:00pm] DR. PHIL. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Maureen McCormack turns to Phil ‘Quickdraw’ McGraw for advice on her estranged father, ‘brainwashed’ by her feuding brother. Woulda never happened with Greg, Peter and Bobby.
[Nine/10:40pm] NIP/TUCK. Final. If you’ve stayed loyal to this show through erratic scheduling, and avoided internet spoilers, you’re in for a kicker of a finale as the Carver is finally revealed. But a word of caution. After this peak the series starts a slow decline…
SUNDAY 20 [ABC/5:00pm] SUNDAY ARTS. Getting some great interview subjects this year, principally because Denton has been out of production. Today, Virginia Trioli speaks to the sultry-sounding k.d. Lang, and hopefully about that lyric, ‘I’ll return from the streets of Melbourne’.
[Seven/6:30pm] GLADIATORS. I had high hopes Seven would have remembered why this worked. Sure, the camp costumes and grand-standing are there, but it’s ruined by bland hosting, manufactured drama and an audience of idiots. Back to the porno websites with you lot. Meanwhile, GREY’S ANATOMY features the first of two eps triggered by an ambulance collision outside Seattle Grace. Guest stars QUEER AS FOLK’s Gale Harold and BUFFY’s Seth Green.
[TEN/7:30pm] SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AUSTRALIA. This is the one that counts! In one corner we have gender illusionist/chameleon Rhys, and in the other Asian-Australian lesbian g-girl, Demi. Already both winners, they face fierce competition from Jack and Kate.
MONDAY 21 [TEN/1:00pm] OPRAH. Bette Midler drops by to chat about her Las Vegas residency, turning 62 and introduces her 21 year old daughter, Sophie, who laughs, “She was, like, ‘If you ever go into the movie business, I’ll never speak to you again!’”
[Seven/3:00pm] THE GOLDEN GIRLS. It’s the pilot episode for Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia. But what about JURY DUTY afterwards? Celebrities are asked to solve real small claims cases. They’ve booked Linda Blair, Debbie Reynolds, Phyllis Diller, Todd Bridges, Kevin Sorbo and Tiffany! Too much.
[Seven/8:30pm] DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. Every season there is always one ripper, and this is it, as a tornado bears down on Wisteria Lane. It’s CGI madness, with a poetic end for one character. But the best is again Felicity Huffman, as Lynette emerges from the rubble. It’s a twisterrrr, Dorothy!
[TEN/9:30pm] LAW & ORDER. An annoying story triggered by experimentation with ‘the gay gene’. Neither particularly entertaining, insightful or progressive.
TUESDAY 22 [Seven/12:00pm] THE 2008 MISS USA. OMG, hosted by Donnie and Marie with Heather Mills as a judge? ‘Nuff said.
[FOX8/7:30pm] AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL. New Series. 13 girls, aged 16-21, most of who border on anorexic, compete for one of pay TV’s most successful local brands. To be fair it’s well stocked with cat-fighting teenagers and bitchier judges. But isn’t this now a cliché?
WEDNESDAY 23 [TEN/8:30pm] HOUSE. Repeat ep about a gay man with HIV/AIDS who collapses in front of House’s home. New eps later this month!
[SBS/10:30pm] Movie: THE EYE (Hong Kong 2002). Another strong Asian horror flick (later remade by Tom Cruise) about a blind girl who sees into the future. Spooky fun, with a mother of a fireball scene shot on the streets of Bangkok.
David Knox really wishes the BBC would take a few directorial tips from 24.
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