Misfits

One of the shows that caught my attention this past couple of months was E4's Misfits. Being a huge fan of british TV I had to watch this show. I'm happy to say that i wasn't disappointed by this show. In fact I love it. Misfits has the perfect balance between humor and suspense. The casting for the show is also perfect. But what makes this show different? First of all, this show is about young delinquents who get super powers after a lighting storm. Isn't that awesome? Misfits brings you to a mysterious world where anything is possible. The main characters of the show have conflicting personalities, but in order to survive they have to work together and trust each other. This plot helps with the creation of different scenarios and shorelines that can be both funny and dramatic. Finally I think that Misfits is a great example of a low-budget show that can be creative and interesting.

If you are into british TV, comedy and comic books I would recommend watching Misfits. The first two seasons are on Hulu for free.

Pushing Daisies

Freshman year, I took a class where we looked at different TV shows and critiqued on its aesthetics and presentation. One show that really jumped out at me was called Pushing Daisies. This Tv drama was like no other. The colors and patterns shown on screen really made an impact to the viewer. The creator of the show, Bryan Fuller, told several magazines and publishing company's that he was going for a "Tim Burton trippy" look, with bright colors and exaggerated patterns. the picture below says it all.






It gives the viewer an Alice and Wonderland look, with a twist of a cartoon fashion. Many shades of red and orange brighten the picture, and you also get a sense of symmetry in ever shot. The NY times say the show looks like a Candyland version of life. Even the plot has a fantasy feeling.

New, the town pie maker, discovered a special gift he had when he was young. He had the power to touch anything dead, whether it was a person, plant, or animal, and make it come back to life. However, the next time he touched him, her, or it, it would remain dead forever. Watching the pilot episode, I really thought this looked corny and stupid. But the characters really kept the driving the story. Ned and a detective pair up to solve murder mysteries to collect the reward for catching the killer. There is no Law and Order terms in this show, and the dialogue is funny and easy to keep up with. The music sounds like a fairy tale Disney movie, but for adults, setting the tone of every scene. This is a show I definitely recommend to all looking for something new to pick up.

Covert Affairs

As a fan of espionage shows (such as my favorite show Chuck), I am surprised that the show Covert Affairs has eluted me for over a season. I finally sat town to watch this USA Network show and almost instantly fell in love with it's amazing combination of wit, action, romance, and surprising realism for a show based on the CIA. Piper Perabo was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of lead character Annie Walk, who is a rookie at the CIA's Domestic Protection Division. One of the main attract to the show for me is the interstaction of Annie and her tech opts specialist Auggie Anderson (played by Christopher Gorham), who despite the fact that he became blind several years ago is still one of the best operatives on the show. It is very fun to see how the blind guy is basically her eyes and ears when she is on missions and is her guide at the CIA....and he occasionally makes blind jokes about himself which is always good for a cheap laugh. Other interesting story-lines include Annies mysterious ex-boyfriend and how he keep cropping up after she get recruited and the fairly realistic battle with the CIA and some local D.C. journalist who are digging for me transparency with the government.

The show's creators Matt Corman, Chris Ord, and Dough Liman (who was also the producer for The Bourne Trilogy) have gone to a lot of effort to make the show as realistic as possible. Before the show started they took a trip to Langley, Virginia where the real CIA headquarters. At Langley they observed, interviewed, and took notes on stuff they could recreate for the show from a replica of the marble in the entrance to the classic CIA seal to the burn bags in the offices they have strived to make the show look at real as possible. Since it is a summer show and does not air as many episodes as a regular show they have had the time (and thankfully the recourses) to even do some shoots on location across the world, following their travel-crazy spy characters.

Though the show has only aired one and a half season, it is off to a great start. True to the network's slogan "Character Welcome", Covert Affairs has compiled a group of intriguing, funny, and relatable characters that pull you into a life that not many can understand. It is a fun, adventures, and thrilling show that I am hoping will have a great future a head....not that the CIA are aloud to look to far into the future.