John Byrne talks about telly.
Reviewed: Nikita (Thursday, Sky Living)
For a while it looked as though this slick, ass-kicking spy drama wasn’t going to get greenlighted for a second season, which would’ve been a pity as it continues to deliver week after week and recently returned to Sky Living for the second part of its debut season.
It’s the perfect platform for Maggie Q (real name Margaret Quigley), who built up her post-modelling acting rep as an all-action sidekick of/understudy to Jackie Chan, and later starred alongside Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible III', Bruce Willis in 'Live Free or Die Hard', Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman in 'Deception'.
Landing the lead role in this latest version of the Nikita tale, Maggie Q plays the eponymous rogue agent who is determined to destroy her former employers, a secret organisation known as Division.
Right from the opening episode, this show took no prisoners and knew exactly where it wanted to go: it’s highly addictive, leave-your-brain-at-door action played at a rattling pace, with the volume up to the max for the action scenes (of which there are plenty) and lowered to a near whisper for the odd bit of dialogue. 'The Wire' it ain’t, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
'Nikita' has been compared to 'Dollhouse', Buffy creator Joss Whedon’s most recent show, which ran for two seasons. And while the premises are similar – people have their lives and minds wiped and find themselves virtual slaves of a dodgy organisation – 'Dollhouse' took risks and really went for it from the amazing season one finale and all through season two, while 'Nikita' is a much more conservative, old-fashioned, episodic show. It’s pure entertainment. And great fun.
Every opportunity is taken to show off Maggie Q’s svelte but scarily skinny body, most notably in the season opener as she fought her way through a crowd of thugs wearing four postage stamps held together by string, or a bikini if you prefer. Still, it’s harmless, schoolboy titillation (and the basis of a possible drinking competition, if you’re into that sort of thing) as it doesn’t detract from the action, which - Maggie Q's good looks aside - is what this show is all about.
The only surprise about 'Nikita' is that it’s not directed by Brian De Palma or John Woo. But one of the guys behind the show – Joseph McGinty Nichol, aka McG – is also responsible for the equally entertaining if much lighter spy spoof, 'Chuck' (also shown by Sky Living), and his CV includes directing the 'Charlie’s Angels' movie. Keep it up, fella!
New this week
The Good Wife (Thursday, RTÉ Two)
Now you’re talking. The best new prime time network drama to come from the USA since, oh, 'The West Wing', 'The Good Wife' returns to RTÉ Two for a second season. Julianna Margulies has deservedly won awards and nominations for her outstanding performances as Alicia Florrick, the cheated wife who goes back to work as a lawyer when her politician husband (Chris Noth) is caught with his pants down, but in truth this is a great ensemble piece, and much more than a legal drama. The cast includes the broody Josh Charles as lawyer-come-love-interest Will Gardiner, the truly wonderful Archie Panjabi as kick-ass investigator Kalinda Sharma, and some great guest actors – particularly Michael J Fox. Unmissable.
The Killing (Thursday, Channel 4)
This is an American version of the much-lauded Danish thriller - shown recently on BBC FOUR, so hardly anyone here’s seen the original –that moves from the original Copenhagen to Seattle. Otherwise it’s largely the same story: Sarah Linden, a homicide cop played by Mireille Enos (Big Love) investigates the murder of a 17-year-old girl. Each episode represents a single day in the investigation, and by all accounts it’s pretty addictive. Bring it on!
Ending this week
Paul O’Grady Live (Friday, UTV)
It’s not Paul O’Grady’s fault that he’s up against the weight of the BBC on Friday nights (and regardless of whether he’s chat show-hosting on ITV or Channel 4. Jonathan Ross may be gone, but Graham Norton still gets the best A-listers on his BBC ONE show. Still, joining the former Lily Savage isn’t a bad way to kick-start your weekend.
Hidden Gem of the week
Grey Gardens (Saturday, RTÉ One)
Inspired by the extraordinary 1975 documentary of the same name, this is about a well-heeled but dysfunctional mother and daughter who turn their backs on wealth and the world of Manhattan’s elite to live in oblivious isolation in an increasingly dilapidated Long Island mansion. Jessica Lange and particularly Drew Barrymore are outstanding as mother Edith Ewing Bouvie (aka Big Edie) and daughter Edith Bouvier Beale (aka Little Edie), the two women whose collective eccentricity became a media sensation in the USA due to them being close relatives of Jackie Kennedy. Moving, funny, achingly sad - if 'Grey Gardens' doesn’t get you, you’re made of stone.
Another good idea/bad idea
3e’s decision to give fans 20 cracking episodes of 'Family Guy' over ten hours across five nights this week is obviously a very good idea. Sticking repeats of the wonderful 'Dexter' on at 1.25am is a bad idea – but it does offer the chance to see the show again from the start as season five continues on Fridays on FX.
Worth waiting up for
Bad time. Great show.
Him & Her (Wednesday, BBC ONE)
The BBC’s habit of giving comedy shows a first run on BBC THREE or BBC FOUR can be a bit annoying here in non-Britain land as most folks don’t get the opportunity to see them. Then the Beeb go and put them on at all hours on BBC ONE or TWO at some godforsaken time, and again the Irish audience is tiny. 'Him & Her' is another example, as it goes out late enough (after 11pm) and laregely unnoticed on Wednesdays on BBC ONE. Russell Tovey plays Steve, a workshy, laddish bloke who can’t see beyond booze and birds. Sarah Solemani plays Becky, a female version of Steve. Together they’re almost an ideal couple – if you’re a member of the Royle Family. And afterwards you can watch The Scheme, a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the grim existence on one of Scotland’s harsher housing estates.
Guest stars of the week
Actress Michelle Collins and Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts are amongst the guests on Paul O’Grady’s finale on UTV next Friday. Over on 'The Graham Norton Show' (Friday, BBC ONE) there’s a compilation of the season’s top guests, including Liza Minnelli, Lady Gaga and Jack Black. Thursday’s 'Mock the Week' on BBC TWO sees Ed Byrne, Micky Flanagan and Jack Whitehall join in the fun. Coverage of 'T in the Park' begins next Friday 8 on BBC THREE as Edith Bowman and Reggie Yates present the opening night’s top acts including headliners Arctic Monkeys along with Jessie J, White Lies and Plan B.
Casting Couch Corner
Who’s heading to what show
It’s barely July and here’s the first bit of news about Christmas TV. Former Doctor Who (notice how they’re all getting lots of high profile work these days?) Christopher Eccleston will be returning to the BBC in a new adaptation of Mary Norton’s classic children’s story, 'The Borrowers'. The Christmas special will also feature Stephen Fry and Victoria Wood . . . Fellow former Doc Peter Davision’s back a lot sooner as he’s one of several new cast members in the fifth season of ITV’s 'Law & Order: UK' . . . John Barrowman makes it three Doctor Who-related stories in a row as he’s also back on BBC ONE in his 'Torchwood' role as the immortal Captain Jack Harkness, as the sexy sci-fi drama begins a new season on July 14 . . .
Sat Nav
Satellite Highlights
Falling Skies (Tuesday, FX)
Fans of ER will be delighted to see Noah Wyle (Dr Carter) back on the small screen. But whether they’ll enjoy 'Falling Skies' is another matter. This is yet another epic US sci-fi adventure (let’s see now: 'Lost', 'FlashForward', 'The Event' – you get the drill), this time exec-produced by Steven SpielBerg. Wyle stars as Tom Mason, a Boston-based history professor whose life is torn apart when an alien attack, which kills 80% of the world’s population, leaves his wife dead. Human survivors have formed resistance groups, and Tom uses his knowledge of military conflict to help the cause.
Nurse Jackie (Tuesday, Sky Atlantic)
The second season of this delightfully twisted comedy is rattling away on RTÉ Two every Friday with double episodes, but here Sky Atlantic sneak up the rails this week with the season three opener. The show returns with the stand-off that ended season two and it wouldn’t be giving too much away to say that Jackie (superbly played by the always impressive Edie Falco) has a rather ambivalent attitude towards her consumption of drugs. Elsewhere, Eve Best’s Dr O’Hara is considering her position, while Zoey (Merritt Wever) is in love with Lenny.
What You Watched
RTÉ’s top 20 programmes (viewed as live) for the week ending 05.06.2011
Figures in multiples of a thousand (eg: 500 = 500,000)
RTÉ One
TITLE DAY FIGURE
1 Prime Time Investigates Monday 464
2 Fair City Tuesday 444
3 Fair City Sunday 437
4 Prime Time Tuesday 434
5 Feargal Quinn's Retail Therapy Sunday 427
6 Reeling in the Years Sunday 417
7 The Consumer Show Tuesday 398
8 Fair City Wednesday 384
9 Would You Believe? Special Sunday 377
10 The Frontline Monday 377
11 Prime Time Thursday 375
12 Fair City Thursday 363
13 EastEnders Tuesday 345
14 EastEnders Thursday 324
15 Dirty Old Towns Wednesday 316
16 Nationwide Monday 313
17 Supergarden Tuesday 303
18 Nationwide Wednesday 300
19 Killinaskully Sunday 296
20 Kitchen Hero Monday 295
With The Late Late Show off for the summer, Prime Time Investigates put in a good shift to make top spot, just 20,000 ahead of Tuesday’s Fair City. The ‘regular’ Prime Time also scored well to finish fourth with 434,000 viewers while Feargal Quinn's Retail Therapy also scored well with 427,000.
RTÉ Two
TITLE DAY FIGURE
1 Euro 2012 Qualifier Saturday 462
2 Blue Bloods Tuesday 285
3 The Sunday Game Live Sunday 267
4 CSI: NY Wednesday 260
5 Greys Anatomy Tuesday 246
6 The Saturday Game Live Saturday 229
7 The Bourne Ultimatum Thursday 164
8 Home and Away Monday 158
9 CSI: NY Wednesday 151
10 Home and Away Wednesday 143
11 Livin’ With Lucy Tuesday 134
12 Gavin & Stacey Wednesday 132
13 The Sunday Game Sunday 125
14 Home and Away Tuesday 122
15 Criminal Minds Monday 121
16 The Walking Dead Monday 120
17 Home and Away Thursday 115
18 The Simpsons Monday 114
19 Home and Away Friday 103
20 The Walking Dead Saturday 95
No surprise to see the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualifier topping the RTÉ Two chart with a figure that was bigger than everything on RTÉ One bar the number one, while new cop show Blue Bloods is impressively at number two despite being double-billed. Elsewhere, both Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds registered disappointing figures.
John Byrne
