DVD Review: Shakespeare & Hathaway - Private Investigators: Series 1

Shakespeare & Hathaway – Private Investigators: Series 1

(DVD Shakespeare)

 

This charming contemporary British crime series features Mark Benton as sloppy and curmudgeonly private investigator (and ex-police officer) Frank Hathaway, and Jo Joyner as his unexpected new partner, Luella “Lu” Shakespeare. The pilot episode sets their partnership in motion, as bride-to-be Lu hires Frank to investigate her betrothed, who turns out to be a con artist trying to fleece her. When Lu ends up assisting Frank and his sole assistant, Sebastian, in their investigation, she finds she’s good at the private eye work. By the end of the first episode, Lu and Frank have entered into an uneasy partnership, as she helps prop up his failing business, and he slowly realizes she brings some useful skills to the team.

 

Shakespeare & Hathaway is supposed to be set in Stratford-on-Avon, William Shakespeare’s old stomping grounds, and many of the plots of the episodes feature variations on the plots of the Bard’s classic plays (although many are just straight mysteries). The chemistry between Frank and Lu and Sebastian in this first season of 10 episodes is delightful. Some of the plots are simplistic and predictable, while others kept me guessing. But the true joy in watching this series is seeing how Frank and Lu play off of each other. In another Shakespearean twist, during the first two seasons, Amber Aga plays Frank’s police contact — and former partner — D.I. Marlowe. Shakespeare fans will greatly enjoy all the light-hearted references to Shakespearean works and the world of the Bard.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Rosemary & Thyme, Hettie Wainthropp Investigates, Pie in the Sky, Lovejoy or any other light-hearted modern British mystery series, where the focus is not on an official police officer/detective solving the crime.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film ) | ( official Shakespeare and Hathaway – Private Investigators on the BBC web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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DVD Review: Ghosts (UK): Season One

Ghosts: Series One (UK)

(DVD Ghosts)

 

My wife and I got absolutely hooked on the American paranormal comedy series Ghosts, on CBS, this current television season. We knew, even when we started watching, that this was a U.S. remake of a popular U.K. series of the same name.

 

So, I was particularly happy, after watching the season finale of the U.S. version, to see that the libraries had purchased the DVD set of the U.K.’s first season. While there are many similarities between the UK and US versions of Ghosts, the two most noteworthy differences are that the British show’s first season only had 6 episodes (where the American version had 18). Also, many of the actors playing the “ghosts” in the British version are comics and writers, who created their characters, from various time periods, for portrayals in other British television, before recognizing that they could combine all their different historical characters into a single storyline.

 

The plot, in a nutshell: A young urban couple learn that the wife has inherited a rundown country estate — she was the last living descendant of the estate’s owner, even though they’d never met. They arrive to find the estate in massive disrepair, but decide to commit to rehabilitating the building and turning it into a hotel. What they don’t realize is that the estate is haunted by the ghosts of multiple individuals who’ve died there over the years but who didn’t pass on to another plane of existence. When the wife (Allison) suffers a near-death experience, she develops the ability to see and hear (and talk to) all of the ghosts.

 

The cast of the original British version of the show is incredible, and has impressive chemistry. The show, in just six episodes, manages to develop the concept extremely well. I only hope that the 2nd and 3rd seasons make it to DVD in the U.S. soon!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the American version of Ghosts, currently airing Thursdays on CBS — and most likely available On Demand or via one of the various streaming platforms.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this series ) | ( official Ghosts page on the BBC web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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DVD Review: Star Trek: Picard - Season One

Star Trek: Picard – Season One
[DVD Star]

I’m a Trekkie, through and through. I originally grew up on the syndicated repeats of the original 1960s series, when they first started in the early 1970s, and I’ve continued to follow all iterations of Star Trek, from The Next Generation to Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. I suffered through the series of reboot movies, that “re-imagined” the original characters in recent years. I’ve only sampled Star Trek: Discovery, as I don’t subscribe to the streaming service it is carried upon. Similarly, I didn’t catch Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) either, but loving the character of Jean Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, I took a chance on purchasing the first season of Star Trek: Picard when it was released on DVD.

 

Unlike most recent Star Trek productions, which have either been set in the Kirk/Spock/McCoy era of Star Trek history or earlier, Star Trek: Picard is the first recent show to carry the storyline forward into the future. Patrick Stewart said he wouldn’t return to the character of Jean Luc Picard unless the storytellers were doing something completely new and different with the character. For this 10-episode first season, they definitely have. Picard is set about over 25 years after the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the universe-shattering events that took place in the final STNG feature film, Nemesis. In those three decades, the bright and hopeful Starfleet and United Federation of Planets envisioned by Star Trek’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, have definitely tarnished and begun to show some cracks. In some ways, Star Trek: Picard almost shows us a dystopian version of Star Trek.

 

A young woman seeks out Picard, who has retired to his vineyards in France, and begs for his help and protection. When Jean Luc discovers that the young woman may, indeed, be the android descendant of his late former comrade, Data, he agrees to help her — only to have her be murdered right in front of him. The knowledge that she was one of a pair of artificial life form twins causes Picard to abandon his retirement and assemble a rag tag crew aboard a mercenary pilot’s private starship, in hopes of finding the twin and saving her from forces bent on her destruction.

 

There are plenty of shout-outs to STNG and other Star Trek history, with some of Picard’s former crewmates showing up in supporting roles. But this series is mostly about establishing Picard’s new relationships with a bunch of new original characters, each of whom has their own baggage and flaws.

 

I’m not sure I like a dark, dystopian version of Star Trek, but the performances in Star Trek: Picard were excellent, as was the set design and special effects. I didn’t care for the resolution of a storyline that’s been hanging in Star Trek’s long-standing continuity for 33 years, though it certainly packed an emotional punch for anyone who has loved Star Trek for all 54 years of its existence. I recommend this new series, with caveats, and it’s not a spoiler to say the show has been picked up for at least a second season — so I do look forward to seeing what happens next.

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official Picard web site ]

 

See our Star Trek Reviews page for an archive of all “Star Trek” related reviews throughout the history of the Staff Recommendations on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library – Public Service

 

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NOVA: Eclipse Over America by PBS (on DVD)

NOVA: Eclipse Over America
[DVD 523.78 Ecl]

After Lincoln, NE was fortunate enough to experience Totality during the August 2017 eclipse that swept across America, I was curious to see what the PBS TV series NOVA would do to commemorate the event on this DVD. Surprisingly, I was a bit disappointed in this episode. NOVA had camera crews in various locations along the eclipse’s path, and footage from each filming location is included in this mini-documentary. However, the majority of this episode’s content is a look back at the historical implications of eclipses. I’d say less than 1/3 of the episode is actually about the 2017 eclipse. Which is not to say it is not both entertaining and educational — I did enjoy it. But, if you’re looking for a documentary all about the 2017 eclipse, you, too, may be disappointed. And, considering that Bill Nye the Science Guy was here in Beatrice, NE at Homestead National Monument for the Eclipse, the lack of ANY footage from Nebraska…at all…was the biggest disappointment. Still…for general fans of eclipses — and there are those who chase eclipses around the globe every year!! — this has some interesting nuggets of information!

[ Official page for this episode on the NOVA web page ] | [ NASA’s official Eclipse 2017 page ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Psych's Guide to Crime Fighting for the Totally Unqualified by "Shawn Spencer"

Psych’s Guide to Crimefighting for the Totally Unqualified
by “Shawn Spencer” with “Burton Guster” [791.457 PsyYs] 

After watching the Psych reunion TV-movie in December 2017, I’ve lately enjoyed watching a bunch of episodes (on both cable TV and DVD) of this charming and eccentric comedy/drama, which ran from 2006 to 2014. Re-watching episodes reminded me of this book, one of the strangest and quirkiest TV tie-in books I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been collected tie-in books since the early 1970s!

Credited as being written by the series’ main characters, “psychic detective” Shawn Spencer and his sidekick/parter, pharmaceutical rep Burton “Gus” Guster, this book is a totally nuts, stream-of-consciousness wander through the kinds of information you might need if you wanted to become a private detective, only told by someone who has absolutely no true skills in that subject. In the series, Shawn pretended to be a psychic detective, so that he could use his uncanny gift of a photographic memory and the ability to almost instantaneously interpret the connections between random facts and evidence, to solve crimes and be the “big shot”. That, and make use of the training his retired cop father drilled into him throughout his misspent youth.

In this book, “Shawn” runs roughshod over traditional detective guidebooks, bouncing from one unconnected topic to another like a pinball machine with ADHD. On one page, he may be offering tips on how to read a crime scene, then he jumps to fantasizing about appropriate cars for P.I.s (like Magnum’s Ferrari and the helicopter from Airwolf), then he’ll offer a pop quiz on how to be a sidekick, a family tree of cop friend Lassiter’s favorite guns, and a stick-figure guide to how to tail someone (drawn on cocktail napkins). He’ll also throw in random pie charts, tables and statistical graphics, that have no real bearing on what he’s just been talking about.

Those who appreciated the off-kilter humor of the Psych TV series, with Shawn’s frequent non-sequiturs and divergences into things unrelated to the cases he and Gus worked on, will appreciate this book, filled as it is with seemingly unrelated pop culture references, and tons of photos from the series.

However, those looking for a legitimate book about how to be a private investigator, should drop this book and run screaming into the hills.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try all eight seasons of the television series Psych. There were also several Psych tie-in novels, which you can see on our TV Tie-Ins booklist.]

[ publisher's official Psych’s Guide to Crime Fighting… web site ] | [ official Psych TV series web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The West Wing: Complete Third Season (on DVD)

The West Wing: Complete Third Season
[DVD West]

The third season of the West Wing starts with staff in a lock-down at the White House, with high school students who were touring it at the time, and ends with the president deciding if he should or should not assassinate a terrorist. Some character highlights include: President Jed Bartlet calling the Butterball Hotline on Thanksgiving, Sam being followed and interviewed by his reporter ex-fiance, Toby arguing with the team who were hired to get Bartlet re-elected, Leo dating his attorney, Josh becoming obsessed with a website that’s devoted to him, Donna finding out that due to a cartography error she was actually born in Canada, CJ learning the lyrics to “I’m Too Sexy” and singing them around the White House when the majority leader flubs a question on camera, and Charlie getting into a prank war with CJ after a copy of the President’s schedule goes missing. While there were a lot of funny moments throughout the season there was also a lot of tension because of the terrorist attack and also the staffers being subpoenaed and having to testify in court.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The American President, Veep, Madam Secretary or other political dramas.]

 

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official The West Wing page on the NBC web site ]

Recommended by Carrie R.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Blindspot: Season One on DVD

The Blindspot – Season One 

[DVD Blindspot] 

The show starts as a duffle bag is found in Times Square. Police clear the area and treat it like it’s a bomb. As the bomb disposal technician gets closer to the bag it starts to move and unzip. Out steps a woman, naked, but completely covered in tattoos. She is taken back to FBI headquarters and interrogated. She doesn’t know her name, how she got to Times Square, or anything about the tattoos covering her body including the giant one on her back that reads “Kurt Weller FBI”. It turns out Kurt Weller is an actual FBI agent, and a good one at that. He is called in to consult on the case but doesn’t recognize the mysterious woman. They start calling her Jane Doe and when they do a body scan of her tattoos they realize that they’re all brand new. Weller and his team study them to see if any of them can lead them to the real identity of Jane Doe or how she got into the duffle bag.

One tattoo contains today’s date and an address. They go to investigate and come across a terrorist plot. While there Jane fights a man showing she has martial arts training. When they stop the threat against America the FBI decides there may be something to these tattoos and the show continues with each episode focusing on a different tattoo and their quest to find out who Jane really is.

The pilot was excellent, as was the rest of the first season. You really want to think that Jane is good but as the season goes on there are hints that maybe she isn’t. Jaime Alexander does an excellent job portraying her – flashbacks to her days as Lady Sif from Thor, you get to see her in lots of fights in this as well. The team has great chemistry and I really enjoy the actors, especially Sullivan Stapleton (Weller) and Ashley Johnson (Patterson, the forensics technician).

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Blacklist, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or Quantico (available through InterLibrary Loan).]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ NBC’s official The Blindspot web site ]

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Making of Star Trek by Stephen Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry

Happy 50th Anniversary of Star Trek's first airing!

 

The Making of Star Trek
by Stephen Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry [Not in library collection — order through InterLibrary Loan] 

 If I had to recommend only one single book about Star Trek in this month where we celebrate the original series’ 50th anniversary (September 2016), it would be The Making of Star Trek, by Stephen Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry. Originally published in 1968, when the second season (of three) of the original Star Trek was still on the air, this book is a detailed look at what went into the making of a television series in late 1960s terms. In interviews with creative types both in front of and behind the camera, including network executives, make-up artists, conceptual designers, costumers and writers, you can see the nuts-and-bolts details of how a TV show was created, produced and marketed. This book is historically significant, as the first book ever published about Star Trek, but numerous creative people in the entertainment industry have pointed to The Making of Star Trek as a book that inspired them to get into the television industry as a career. Considering that there was a lot of friction between NBC and the production company, the existence of this book is something of a publishing miracle. Includes two B&W photo sections.
[ The Making of Star Trek at Memory Alpha ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Star Trek 365 and Star Trek the Next Generation 365 by Paula Block

Star Trek 365
by Paula Block and Terry Erdmann [791.457 StaYb] 

In this year (2016) when the original Star Trek series will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, I’ve been enjoying revisiting some of my favorite Star Trek non-fiction behind-the-scenes books. Star Trek 365 is one of the best. Paula M. Block’s look back at the history of the production of the original series is chock full of rare photos and illustrations, many never seen in publication previously. Much like a Day-by-Day calendar, where you look at a different photo, comic or witty observation each and every day, Star Trek 365 (and the similar volume Star Trek the Next Generation 365 for the follow-up series) has 365 short chapters, filled with obscure yet fascinating trivia and production minutiae. These books have an unusual format — they are short in height but very thick in content. The depth of research that went into assembling these treasure troves of Star Trek history is impressive.

These two books are definite must reads for anyone who truly considers themselves a Trekkie or a Trekker, but they should also prove to fascinating reads for general TV science fiction fans.

[ Star Trek 365 page at Memory Alpha ] | [ Paula M. Block page at Memory Alpha ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Halloween Tree (on DVD)

The Halloween Tree
[DVD j Halloween]

I’ve been a huge fan of Ray Bradbury’s novella, The Halloween Tree, for several years — its one of my favorite books from Bradbury’s lengthy writing career. In that tale, aimed at youth readers, Bradbury’s creepy main character Moundshroud takes a group of rambunctious youth a trip back in time, to explore the origins of many Halloween traditions — Mummies, Witches, Skeletons, Monsters, death and afterlife rituals — and their adventure becomes a fight for the life of one of their friends. This made-for-television short animated movie manages to capture a lot of the spirit and tone of Bradbury’s story. To a large degree, this can be attributed to the fact that Bradbury himself is the voiceover narrator of the story, and legendary Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy provides the voice of Moundshroud. The art is fairly simplistic — this came from the Hanna-Barbera studio that produced The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Jonny Quest and Scooby Doo. And the story is simplified from the novel. But, I still recommend this for viewing, particularly around the time of Halloween. But nothing can replace the original novel!

[Also available in traditional print format.] [ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Full Circle with Michael Palin on DVD

Full Circle with Michael Palin
[DVD 911.823 Pal]

Chronicling Palin’s journey around the Pacific Ocean, from Alaska down to Asia to Australia up through South America and back to Alaska. This 10 episode tv mini-series, like Palin’s other travelogues is fantastic. You really feel like you are traveling with him and the camera crew to places that aren’t the tourist stops. This journey takes 245 days and 50,000 miles through 17 countries. I’ve watched this and Palin’s other travelogues multiple times and they don’t get old. I think this would appeal to a wide audience; anyone who likes documentaries, travel, and or Michael Palin would enjoy this set.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Pole to Pole and Around the World in 80 days, also with Michael Palin.] [Also available in traditional print format.] [ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official Palin’s Travels web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

See also the earlier review of this same production in November 2004, by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Schoolhouse Rock! on DVD

Schoolhouse Rock!
[DVD j 372.2 Sch]
For anyone who grew up as a kid in the 1970s, the little jingles of ABC’s Schoolhouse Rock are an unforgettable part of watching Saturday morning television. This two-disc set all 46 original animated tunes that taught us the basics of math, English language usage, politics, history, etc. “I’m Just a Bill!”, “My Hero, Zero”, “Conjunction Junction”, “Interjections!” and “Three is a Magic Number” will remind you about all the little shorts that were interspersed between Saturday morning cartoons. In addition to reproducing all the original shorts, this DVD set has some missing songs/animations, trivia games, documentary features and tons of additional information about how we were all educated along with our entertainment. I highly recommend this as a trip down memory lane for those of us in our 40s or older, but its amazing how well the original jingles have held up — they are still a great teaching tool for today’s young kids!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Schoolhouse Rock: The Official Guide by Tom Yohe, as well as several CDs of music from all these educational ditties!] [Also available in traditional print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Schoolhouse Rock web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Wolf Hall on DVD

Wolf Hall
[DVD Wolf]

 am the kind of person who enjoys reading Historical Fiction, especially English or French history. A friend had recommended this series to me and I took the opportunity to watch this over the holidays. The films depict the life of Thomas Cromwell, a lowly blacksmith’s son who rises to become a man of power and influence in the court of Henry VIII. The story is one of intrigue and scandal in a time of great change in England. Thomas Cromwell is at the heart of it all. The sets, costumes and cinematography in this production are simply superb. I am looking forward to seeing more from this series.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Poldark, or Henry V.] [Also available in traditional print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this mini-series ] | [ BBC’s official Wolf Hall web site ]

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Arrow: The Complete First Season (on DVD)

Arrow: The Complete First Season [DVD Arrow]

Billionaire Oliver Queen has been marooned on an island for 5 years. Experiencing trama on this island, Oliver is no longer the spoiled playboy he used to be. He has returned home to Starling City, were he plans to seek revenge for his father, and to help clean up the crime in the city. In doing so, he adopts the persona of “The Arrow.”

[Also available in traditional print format.] [ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Arrow web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Walking Dead: Season Three (on DVD)

The Walking Dead: Season Three [DVD Walking]

I’ve been a fan of The Walking Dead since it first premiered in 2010, and I continue to watch it today, as each season airs on AMC. The series has had its share of ups and downs, with regards to its storytelling and settings. I think the third season, available in this boxed set, was one of the series’ strongest. After the second season ended in chaos, the primary group of human survivors finds themselves split up and going in separate directions. Group leader Rick Grimes leads his rag-tag bunch of desperate humans into an abandoned prison, clearing the facility of undead zombies wing by wing. Setting up the prison as their new home — it is defensible and offers a hope of stability — the survivors explore the surrounding area for supplies. Meanwhile, original group member Andrea ends up encountering fan favorite character Michonne in the woods, and they both end up at Woodbury, a walled community ruled over by the despotic man known as The Governor.

The zombie action of this series about a zombie apocalypse world remains gory and violent, but it is the human stories, particularly those involved the new characters of Michonne and The Governor, and are what this series is really all about. This 16-episode season has a distinct start and conclusion, and viewers unfamiliar with the show will get caught up quickly. Don’t get too attached to ANY of the supporting characters, because no-one should be considered safe to survive until the fourth season!

[There are distinct differences between The Walking Dead as a TV series and as a series of graphic novels, however, much of the plot covered by this season has also been touched on in the graphic novel series.] [ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official The Walking Dead web site from AMC ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (on DVD)

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell [DVD Jonathan]

This is a seven-episode mini-series adaptation of the hugely popular 2005 novel of the same name, by Susanna Clarke. The nutshell version of the plot is that magic appears to have died out in England by the time of the Napoleonic Wars, until one of its last practitioners takes on a brash young apprentice with new ideas, philosophies and a lot of attitude. Their eventual conflicts bring the use of magic in England back to a head, with dramatic results. This BBC adaptation is lush in detail, with terrific performances from the entire cast, particularly Bertie Carvel as Strange and Eddie Marsan as Norrell. Costumes, set-design, make-up and special effects are all top-notch. If you loved the book, definitely give this mini-series a look. If you’ve never read the book, this is still worth a look, although I’d recommend the book before this DVD set. One final note — this DVD set has a nice featurette on “The Making of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” — definitely worth watching!

[Also available in traditional print format.] [ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (TV series) web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Bletchley Circle: Series Two (on DVD)

The Bletchley Circle: Series Two [DVD Bletchley]

Just as good as season one, the Bletchley Park women return for season two. Set a few years after WWII it follows a group of women who used to work as code breakers in the war at Bletchley Park. The women find themselves solving crime with the skills they learned during the war. There are two story arcs this season. The first involves helping a former co-worker from Bletchley clear her name and prevent her being hung for a crime she didn’t commit. The later story involves abduction of one of the girls and human trafficking. It’s a wonderful mystery / historical show with a lot of character development. Highly recommended, though you should watch season one first.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Bletchley Circle: Series One and Ripper Street: Series One to Three.] [ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official PBS page for The Bletchley Circle ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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A Tale of Two Flashes - DVD reviews

The Flash: The Complete Series [DVD Flash]

 

Though the televised adventures of The Flash are perhaps better known for the version currently airing on The CW network, true fans are also familiar with the earlier version of The Flash, which aired for a single season in 1990-91 on CBS. John Wesley Shipp played Barry Allen, a Central City police forensics scientist, who develops super-speed powers after getting hit by lighting and doused in an exotic mix of chemicals in his police lab. Confused and uncertain how to handle his new-found super-human abilities, Allen confides in both Julio Mendez (his fellow scientist in the police lab), and Dr. Tina McGee, a scientist at Star Labs (and ultimately a romantic interest for Barry).

Shipp’s costume as The Flash was considerably different from the costume that has appeared in the more recent series — he appears to be much larger, and has a “pumped up” physique while in costume. This version of the show is very cartoony, and the “speed effects” as The Flash is running or making other high-speed actions, are a little clunky. But the writing was fun — there were a lot of very entertaining stories, bringing many of the iconic “rogue’s gallery” of Flash villains from the comic books to the screen. A lot of the bad guys had a very “noirish” feel to them, and primary colors abounded. I’m surprised that fight sequences didn’t use super-imposed sound-effects balloons like the old Batman sitcom!

None-the-less, for the time period in which this original Flash series was developed — following Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman and Lou Ferrigno’s Incredible Hulk, but preceding more recent serious takes on comic book icons like Smallville and Arrow — this an admirable effort. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of the newer version and have never even heard of this original. Find it and sample it!

[This series is not actually available from the libraries directly in our own collection. I recommend tracking it down via our InterLibrary Loan service.]

 

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ The Flash episode guide at epguides.com ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

The Flash: Season One [soon to be in the libraries’ collection] [DVD Flash] 

The 2014-15 television season saw the introduction of a new television version of The Flash, the iconic DC comic book hero first introduced in 1940. This series features the second iteration of that character, Barry Allen, who was featured in the comic from 1956-1958 and again from 2008 to the present. Capitalizing on the popularity of their other superhero-based series, Arrow, the CW network introduced Barry Allen during a second season episode of Arrow, and spun him off into his own series while Arrow was enjoying its third season. Grant Gustin is police forensic investigator Barry Allen, who is exposed to a combination of lightning strike and chemical spill, all while a particle accelerator accident in his hometown of Central City is bathing the city in unknown energies. After being in a coma for 9 months, Allen awakens to soon discover that he has the ability to move at superspeed. Seeking help to understand this change, Allen is soon mentored by Dr. Harrison Wells, creator of the failed particle accelerator, and two of the scientists working with the disgraced scientist, Dr. Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon. The first season of the show also features Joe West, Allen’s police officer stepfather, and Joe’s daughter, Iris, the woman Barry’s secretly loved for years.
Storylines in this first season have ranged from standard police procedurals, with Barry aiding law enforcement with his superspeed, to wild-and-crazy science fiction and fantasy, as other individuals with superpowers (Metahumans) begin to emerge…some benevolent, but many who are becoming supervillains. Barry, who has been driven to prove his father innocent of his mother’s murder when he was a pre-teen, has an inherent need to do good, and his heroic crime-fighting comes naturally. There’s a lot of humor in this show, particularly whenever scientist Cisco appears, but there is also a lot of emotional angst. The cast is marvelous, and the special effects (both Barry Allen’s speed-enhanced actions and everything else) is top-notch.

I particularly love the fact that Barry’s imprisoned father is played (in several episodes) by John Wesley Shipp, who played Barry Allen/The Flash in the earlier 1990-91 version of The Flash on CBS. There was even an episode in season one of the new Flash that guest-starred Mark “Star Wars” Hamill as the villainous Trickster — a role he had played 24 years earlier on the original version of The Flash. This is a high-gloss, take-itself-serious version of The Flash, but with a good sense of humor. The second season starts this month on the CW network — but you can get familiar with it in this season one DVD set!

[If you like this, you may also wish to sample Arrow, the other CW superhero show, set in the same continuity as The Flash — in fact, they’ve crossed over with each other more than once so far!] [ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official The Flash (2014) web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you seen this? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
 
New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Angel (on DVD)

Angel [DVD Angel]

This 1999-2004 paranormal series was a spin-off from the even-more-popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer [1997-2003]. As the series began, following the third-season finale of Buffy, Angel (“Angelus”) has left Sunnydale behind, seeking redemption for his sins as a vampire by trying to help others. Cursed with his human soul attached to his vampire body, Angel is tormented by all the evil acts he has committed as a vampire, but he can’t be with his true love Buffy without risking the loss of his soul. So, instead, he settles in Los Angeles, as something of a private investigator, helping the downtrodden. This is his role during the first four (of five) seasons, as he and various human and inhuman comrades fight against demons, criminals and other bad guys (often associated with the demonic law firm Wolfram & Hart). In the final season, Angel and company have basically taken over the Los Angeles branch of the evil Wolfram & Hart, and have a more complicated time trying to do good while also trying to prevent W&H from corrupting them.

The Angel cast featured a number of folks who had previously been on Buffy in one capacity or another, as well as a number of all-new characters. Like Buffy, each season tended to feature a “big bad” villain, whose end game was thwarted in the final episode of the season. The acting, writing, make-up and effects work was terrific. The series ended on a rather ambiguous note, though that doesn’t detract from the five years that led up to the finale. And for those who care about such things, series creator Joss Whedon continued the characters’ story arc past the end of the series Angel, with an on-going comic book, Angel: After the Fall.

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ Angel episode guide at epguides.com ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you seen this? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

The Bletchley Circle: Series 1 (on DVD)

Bletchley Circle: Series 1 [DVD Bletchley]

Set just after World War II this series is about four female friends who worked at Bletchley Park during the war as code breakers. While there is not really a main character, the story starts with Susan who has gotten married, had children, and is getting very bored being a housewife after her challenging job during the war. She hears on the news of murders occurring in London and takes it upon herself to put together the pieces. The police don’t take her leads seriously so she turns to her friends who attempt to find the killer themselves. Over the three episodes in this season there is a lot of character development which I really enjoyed. I like mysteries but the show is so much better when we see the characters grow too. This was also a nice glimpse into life in post war England.

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

Have you watched this? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!