Chocky Trilogy: TV Miniseries (1984-86)

Chocky Trilogy: TV Miniseries (1984-86)

01. Chocky (1984) | 6 eps, approx 25 mins each is a children's TV drama adapted from the 1968 novel of the same name by John Wyndham.

The series is set in 1980s Britain, and features a young boy named Matthew Gore (Andrew Ellams) who's contacted by the titular Chocky, a highly intelligent extra-terrestrial being.

Chocky speaks only to Matthew, using him to ask unusual questions of the adults. The change in his behaviour soon draws attention to the boy.

I first watched it as a child myself, of about ten or eleven-years-old. It was intriguing and somewhat frightening, and because of that combination it stayed in my memory as I grew older. Since then I've assimilated so much sci-fi that the basic concept no longer seems particularly fresh, but viewing it from an adult perspective, sympathising for the first time with the parents of young Matthew as well as Matthew himself, gave me a whole different insight into what the series was actually about.

Supernatural: Season 07 (2012)

Supernatural: Season 07 (2012)

23 episodes, approx 42 mins each.

My hope going into Season 07 was that it would be an improvement over Season 06,  even just enough to lift the series out of the shit-heap that showrunner Sera Gamble had put it in, but I don't feel that that happened.

A large part of the reason is the new ongoing threat, first mentioned in the season opener.

Known as Leviathans, the carnivorous bitey things (as pictured on the cover art) were created by God before even the Angels, but for reasons that I won't go into were imprisoned in a holding place that was made just for them. Naturally, they find a way through into the world  of humans. And that's as good as that particular story arc gets.

Supernatural: Season 06 (2011)

Supernatural: Season 06 (2011)

22 episodes, approx 42 mins each.

As mentioned in the Season 05 post, series creator Eric Kripke stepped down as showrunner after the show's fifth year. His successor was Sera Gamble, a long-time writer, story editor, and respected producer of the show. Her history with the Winchesters goes in her favour, but Season 06 is, on balance, a weak continuation.

Each of the three primaries have their role to play in the main story arcs, with each one impacting the others by varying degrees that are equal parts useful and / or contrived.

Without going into spoiler territory, the arcs revolve around a radical change in Sam's personality, Castiel's new plan, and problems for Dean in his newly found 'apple-pie' life.

Supernatural: Season 05 (2010)

Supernatural: Season 05 (2010)

22 episodes, approx 42 mins each.

It's advisable to skip the recaps that precede each episode of Supernatural because the footage used is more often than not a spoiler for which character(s) will appear, which ruins any carefully plotted surprise reveal that may be present, but given that it's been five years since I finished Season 04, it was a necessary evil that I watch them... and yes, it spoiled the surprise almost every time.

The theme for Season 05 is Apocalypse, which follows on from how the previous year ended. In context, that relates mostly to the prophecies of the 'end times' that have been divined from the Revelations part of the Christian Bible; i.e., the non-boring chapter. If Sam and Dean can't put a stop to the coming storm, the world will go all to hell.

Doctor Who: Modern Era Davros (2008-15)

Doctor Who: Modern Era Davros (2008-15)

NOTE: there are SPOILERS for a number of Modern Era Dr Who stories below this paragraph. It would be advisable not to read any further if you're not okay with that.

Following on from the Classic Era Davros (1975-88) post, some words on his appearances in the Modern era. He was mentioned a couple of times during Series 01 and 03, but he didn't actually appear until later, in a noteworthy Series 04 adventure.

I won't mention the title of the episode in this introductory paragraph, for anyone that would prefer to enjoy the surprise reveal during a first watch-through. Personally, I feel that's the best way to experience the story, but I'll need to name it if I'm to write about it, so, as already mentioned, SPOLERS below the cut!

Class (2016)

Class (2016)

Dirs: various | 1 Season (cancelled) | 8 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

A Doctor Who offshoot targeted at the Y/A demographic. Previously, we'd had a series for children and one for 'mature' viewers, which is The Sarah Jane Adventures (2008-12) and Torchwood (2006-11), respectively, so it probably made sense to then aim for that valuable middle gap.

I'm not of that age group, so may not be able to connect directly with contemporary concerns of folks that are, but it doesn't matter to me if a story is conceptually for children, teens, or adults - if the work is well-written and/or the characters are engaging, then I can watch and enjoy it.

Class tries hard, with both its relationships and its themes, but I don't feel it's strong enough to appeal to many people outside of the 16-18 y/o audience.

But maybe it was never meant to. Maybe its goals were modest, and it was simply meant to reflect the times in which it was made, without challenging expectations too much. I don't know.

Star Trek: Picard - Season One (2020)

Star Trek: Picard - Season One (2020)

10 episodes, approx 44-55 minutes each.

Firstly, the important date stuff: it's set in the year 2399, which is twenty years after the tragic loss in ST: Nemesis (2002). We're told that Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) has been retired from Starfleet for fourteen of those years. No longer trotting through the stars on impressive starships, he resides now at Chateau Picard, overseeing the family business. [1]

Visually, it's modern sci-fi, which means it's darkly lit, has glary lens flare (real and CGI), and periodically weighs every happy moment down with a semi-dystopian undertone. As someone who loves the bright, futuristic, optimistic look of The Next Generation era of Star Trek, it's an affront to my eyes on almost every level. Even so, I watched all 10 episodes, because there was room in my life for more Picard adventuring.

Ju-on: Origins (2020)

Ju-on: Origins (2020)

Dir. Shô Miyake | 6 episodes, approx 29 mins each.

Despite the title, Origins isn't a prequel to the previous Ju-On films. Rather, it presents itself as something that's 'inspired by real events'.

Presumably, that's the same 'real' events that the original films were based on, which were dreamt up by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Shimizu.

The series also makes the claim that its story is "far more frightening than the movies" were.

The first falsehood enables it to benefit from the groundwork and reputation of Shimizu's works without being wholly tied to them, while simultaneously implying a level of spurious credibility by suggesting that it's more factual - more 'real world' and less 'fantasy' horror.

With regards the second half of the claim, and keeping in mind that fear is as subjective as humour, nothing in Origins came close to the horror of Ju-On: The Grudge (2002). The horror in Origins is more shock value grotesqueness than spine-chillingly supernatural happenings.

Daimajin Kanon (2010)

Daimajin Kanon (2010)

26 episodes, approx 24 minutes each.

A Japanese tokusatsu show that has the usual explosive combat scenes scattered throughout, but the masked heroes aren't the main focus of the narrative. Instead, the story revolves around a pretty, young University student, Misaki Kanon (Yuka Rikuna), who moves to Tokyo in the hope of becoming a successful lyricist and singer.

To survive in a harsh environment, one needs to adopt an equally harsh attitude. For Misaki, the city is that environment. Her usual sensitive, fragile personality will be eaten alive if she doesn't do something uncharacteristic to protect it.

If you've watched any amount of Japanese animation, then you'll likely have encountered a similar set-up, but Misaki isn't as simpering as the full-blown animated stereotype typically is.

The ups and downs can be predicable and there are times when she could be accused of making a mountain out of a molehill, but the setbacks and departures from the daily routine add to the overall story when you consider her role in each one. Character growth needs challenges, irrespective of whether they're real or imagined.

Transporter: The Series: Season 2 (2014)

Transporter: The Series: Season 2 (2014)

12 episodes, approx 45 minutes each.

Much changed between Season One and Two and not all of it's good change. Frank's (Chris Vance) attitude toward his job is the same — he's still a practical, matter-of-fact guy with a plan that tends to go tits-up before the halfway point — but now he's more like James Bond in how he goes about things.

I suspect that behind the scenes someone actually said 'Let’s make him more James Bond,' and they did, sadly. The B-Movie charm that existed previously is compromised, replaced by a TV production with aspirations of being a secret agent movie.

There are personnel changes, too. Carla (Andrea Osvárt), the woman that functioned as a mysterious liaison between the transporter and the often shady customer, is replaced by Catarina Boldieu.

Catarina (Violante Placido) does a similar job, but she's more active than Carla was. Her multilingual skills are an asset to Frank, so he occasionally has a need for her to accompany him on jobs.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC: Complete 1st and 2nd GIG (2018)

GitS: SAC: Complete 1st + 2nd GIG (2018)

Dirs. Various | Seasons: 2 | 52 episodes, approx 25 mins each [Make sure and stick around for the short Tachikomatic Days entries after the credits roll on each one!]

An 8-disc collection that contains all 52 episodes of the Stand Alone Complex TV series - that's 26 episodes apiece for each of the two seasons.

The year is 2030. Public Security Section 9 is a counter-terrorist branch funded by the Japanese government, a team of ass-kicking professionals that get the job done no matter what.

The world is overly dependent on cybernetic bodies; the web has become the medium of choice for terrorists and as a result there exists a large potential for cyber-crime and hacks.

Section 9 specialise in that area. Led by Major Motoko Kusanagi the team deal with corporate terrorism, kidnapping, human trafficking, Ghost hacks (a technique in which a subject's memories are replaced with false ones) and a host of other internal and external threats. They're the people that keep the rest of us safe, often without us even knowing they exist.

Torchwood: TV Series (2006-11)

Torchwood (2006-11)

Dirs: various | 4 Seasons | 41 episodes, approx 44-57 mins each.

A Doctor Who offshoot that was targeted at a more mature audience than its parent series. In theory that's an interesting prospect, but in reality the definition of 'mature' seems to have been derived from a yobbish, vulgar, and sex-obsessed teenager's personal diary.

Season 01 is particularly bad in that regard, as if the show's writers believed that profanity and multiple references to casual sex were compensation for a well-written script. [1]

Consequently, most of its episodes are a dismal and joyless slog through predominantly bland storytelling, populated with unlikable characters whose traits are more often than not reprehensible and shameful.

I suspect it's more due to blind luck than any kind of skilful plan that it managed not to turn the group's leader, Doctor Who's Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), into the same. [2]

Serial Experiments Lain (1998)

Serial Experiments Lain (1998)

Dir. Ryūtarō Nakamura | 13 episodes, approx 24 minutes each.

Lain Iwakura is small for her age. She's reserved, quiet, and emotionally inexperienced. She has a small group of friends but their connection is tenuous, based more on shared location than on similar interests. That's the nature of the world in which Lain exists.

But there's more than one reality; the real world exists alongside the Wired. Among other things, the Wired is a network that allows communication between distant parties. It connects the individual to other individuals and enables information to be passed along. The synergy between the two existences has a profound maturing effect on the young Lain.

I've watched the series more than once and I'm positive there are things in it that I still haven't found. It's densely packed with subtleties and philosophical concepts. Where do we go when we die? How do we know we're alive? Did God create us? If so, then who created God?

Transporter: The Series: Season 1 (2012)

Transporter: The Series: Season 1 (2012)

12 episodes, approx 45 minutes each.

British actor Chris Vance replaces Jason Statham as ex-SAS man Frank Martin in a spin-off from the Transporter movies. Frank's house is well-ordered and he carries a spare suit in the boot of his car. That's the kind of guy he is. He's also a resourceful driver that transports packages from A to B with no questions asked; discretion is paramount. He lives by his own code and is a stickler for the rules:

01. NEVER CHANGE THE DEAL.

02. NO NAMES.

03. NEVER OPEN THE PACKAGE.

He'll often quote one of them (for the audience's benefit) just a few minutes before breaking it.

Vance's portrayal of the character is more sympathetic than Stath's. He's a sucker for righting an injustice. He needs to be, though, because it isn't just 90 minutes of explosive escapism, it's an ongoing development in which the (anti)hero operates in a grey area of morality and law.

The Adventure Game (1980-86)

The Adventure Game (1980-86)

22 episodes (split over 4 series), approx 26-45 mins each.

I've probably said on more than one occasion during my time on Blogger that it's been 20-30 years since I last saw [whatever the respective post is about] and didn't know if my memories of it were accurate, but never more so has that been applicable than with The Adventure Game.

I hadn't seen it since it originally aired, which is 37+ years ago, at time of writing (i.e., 2023).

In fact, the only parts of it that I could recall prior to watching it recently were a grumbling aspidistra plant on a tall stand, some odd plastic currency, a salamander, and — the part that I remembered most, like it was burned into my brain — the triangle grid pattern that's used to illustrate this post, known as the Vortex.

Timecop: TV series (1997-98)

Timecop: TV Series (1997-98)

Dirs. Various | 9 eps, approx 45 mins each.

A short-lived (i.e., quickly cancelled) TV Series based on director Peter Hyams' time-hopping sci-fi action movie Timecop (1994) - the one that's often cited by Jean-Claude Van Damme devotees as being one of his better efforts.

Personally, I thought he brought nothing of value to the role that many equally physical actors couldn't have did just as well, or better.

The story relied on clichés built atop clichés and the comic-booky plot frequently made little sense and/or contradicted its own established rules. In short, I thought it was shit. But the concept had some mileage, so a TV Series without JCVD was something I was willing to try. But first, a brief synopsis for anyone not familiar with the movie or the original Dark Horse comic book:

Doctor Who: Classic Era Davros (1975-88)

Doctor Who: Classic Era Davros (1975-88)

NOTE: there are SPOILERS for a number of Classic Era Dr Who stories below this paragraph. It would be advisable not to read any further if you're not okay with that.

The Doctor had encountered the Daleks more than once before, as far back as his first onscreen incarnation (William Hartnell), during the second multipart story of the first series (1963-64), but he didn't come face-to-face with their tyrannical creator Davros until the fourth serial of the twelfth series (1975).

The duo met four more times over the next thirteen years, and you'll find thoughts on each of those meetings in the text below the cut. Once again, SPOILERS are present.

Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord (1986)

Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord (1986)

Dirs. Various (see below) | 14 episodes, approx 25 mins each.

'The twenty-third season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, known collectively as The Trial of a Time Lord, aired in weekly episodes from 6th September to 6th December 1986.

It contained four adventures: The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp, Terror of the Vervoids, and The Ultimate Foe; the season also marked the final regular appearance of Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor.'

The paragraph above is copied from Wikipedia, with just a few minor grammar changes on my part. The passage had much of the info that I was seeking, so it seemed pointless to write anything new. I'll add only that it marked the end of an eighteen month 'hiatus' for the show, so expectation levels among fans at the time was understandably high. Thoughts on the actual production are below the cut.

Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)

Superman: TAS (1996-2000)

Dirs. Various | 54 episodes (split over 3 seasons), approx 22 mins each [1]

Conceived and produced by many of the same creative team that made Batman: TAS (1992–95) so good, Superman's animated series looked familiar but also different.

Metropolis is much brighter than Gotham, with a different kind of art deco influence, one more inspired by Streamline Moderne. 

Giving each city its own visual identity is a positive change, but the less textured aesthetic of Metropolis looks unintentionally cheap and sparse by comparison.

Likewise, and the first indication that what you're watching might be a step down in quality, the opening credits, which are a montage of episode scenes in roughly chronological order, feel tawdry and lazy compared to the dramatic excellence of Batman's. Superman's are spoilery, too, for anyone who's not seen the series before. And subjectively speaking, Shirley Walker's accompanying theme music is also less memorable.

The New Batman Adventures (1997-99)

The New Batman Adventures (1997-99)

Dirs. Various | 24 episodes, approx 22 mins each.

A direct continuation of Batman: The Animated Series set two years after TAS ended. It had many of the same cast and creative team behind the scenes, but it's visually different to what came before, with a different title and a distinct logo design.

It's been previously marketed both as a different show with two produced seasons of its own, and, perhaps erroneously, as a third season of TAS. Like many fans I subscribe to the belief that it is indeed its own thing, albeit one that continues TAS continuity. The many visual changes in the series seem to support that belief.

It features Batgirl (Tara Strong), Robin (Mathew Valencia), and Nightwing (Loren Lester) at various times throughout, with Batman (Kevin Conroy) being the only team member who appears in every episode, but the characters were redesigned to more closely match Superman TAS, due to how the two series were being screened on TV at the time.