tv review
Reviewing insightful and thought provoking science fiction TV and technology.
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones - Part 6
Saturday 13 May 1967 There was an article in the paper yesterday describing how a man had written to Gatwick airport because he was worried about flying in case he got miniaturised. Perhaps it was tongue in cheek, but it suggests that this story must have made more of an impression on the public than I'd imagined.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Review of Oasis
I caught the pilot for Oasis last month on Amazon Prime. It definitely has possibilities. The set-up is something we've seen and read many times before -- an Earth in bad shape just a few decades into the future has apparently discovered faster-than-light travel, and is setting up a colony on some habitable world out there in the galaxy. Also familiar is the discovery that this new world isn't such a nice place, either, and in fact has something very strange and likely deadly about it.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Futurism
Review of Travelers
The premise of Travelers -- people from the future coming back to save our world from devastation, by changing the past, and traveling via insertion of their minds into the 2016 bodies of people who are on the verge of dying -- is something we've seen before in time travel, notably in 12 Monkeys (save the world), Quantum Leap (mind from the future jumping into present bodies), and Air Raid/Millennium (bodies on the verge of death). Travelers even feels a little like Trancers (1984) -- which is to say, very welcome, since Trancers is one of my all-time favorite low-budget time-travel series of movies -- but the actual story and stories of the new Canadian series, streaming since late last year on Netflix, has twists and turns and an appeal all its own. And, in the end, it's altogether outstanding.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Futurism
Review of Sense8 2.4-5
One of the most significant secondary themes of Sense8 is the personal relationships our sense8s have to sapiens, as we humans are now increasingly known and referred to in the series. These range from significant other partnerships, as in Lito and Hernando, Nomi and Amanita, and Kala and her devoted but lackluster husband, to lifelong friends such as Wolfgang and Felix, to mortal enemies as in Sun and her monster-in-sheep's-clothing brother.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Futurism
Review of Sense8 2.2-3
I realized a while ago that binge-watching, like all human activities, isn't the perfect strategy for all television watching. It's almost never preferable to wait a week before the next episode of a compelling series is available, but sometimes watching a complete season in one or two seasons is not the best way to go, either. Sometimes you want to savor each episode a little longer, let it slosh around in your mind a little, until it settles into some place or maybe keeps quietly percolating.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones - Part 4
Saturday 29 April 1967 The production team on Doctor Who clearly like pilots at the moment. The last story (The Macra Terror) had a character called Pilot and there weren't even any aircraft in that one. This story however has an airport, aircraft, and is therefore chock full of air-based staff.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Looking Back at Sense8 Season 1
With the complete second season of Sense8 about to debut on Netflix in just two days -- the first two episodes of the second season were a December 2016 special -- I thought it a good time to look back at the first season, as prelude to a review of the 2nd season in a few days.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones - Part 3
Saturday 21 April 1967 I'm very disappointed that Ben and Polly are nowhere to be seen this week. We don't even see Michelle Luippi, who's been packed off on a flight because nosy humans have been asking too many questions. The fake air traffic controller, Meadows, gets to remain at Gatwick though, despite the Doctor being onto him.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones - Part 2
Saturday 15 April 1967 Ooh, the theme tune's changed! Just a bit. Some new 'twiddly bits'. I like it. Unfortunately the picture's gone again this week so I'll have to make do with audio and occasional images...hopefully televisions will be more reliable when they introduce colour later in the year!
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
