Tag Archives: sky arts

The Minor Character. Television Review. Sky Arts.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 15th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Cast: David Tennant, Lucy Cohu, Mark Bonnar, Sara Stewart, Richard McCabe, Saskia Reeves, Richard Lintern, Darrell D’ Silva.

Will Self’s half hour play The Minor Character kicked off a new season of performances for the Sky Arts channel and on the basis of the first offering, home grown drama still has a place for all. Invoking memories of the much loved B.B.C’s Play for the Day, Will Self penned a play that is both enjoyable, slightly psychologically disturbing and one that needs to be watched more than once just to catch every nuance of David Tennant’s sparkling delivery and interaction with the rest of this perfect cast.

The Minor Character. Television Review. Sky Arts. full post

(473 words, 1 image, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)

Nixon’s The One. Televsion Review, Sky Arts.

Harry Shearer as Richard Nixon. Picture from Sky Arts.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 30th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Harry Shearer, Demetri Goritsas, Jeff Mash, Corey Johnson.

American politics is littered with moments at the Oval Office being governed and run by those that are easily lampooned, satirised and generally ill thought after their death. Perhaps in modern times none so more than Richard Millhouse Nixon, he even beats Presidents Reagan and Bush in terms of those that want to try to understand how he ticked, none so more than American comedian and professional Nixon impersonator Harry Shearer.

Nixon’s The One. Televsion Review, Sky Arts. full post

(531 words, 1 image, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

The King Of The Teds. Television Review. Sky Arts.

Originally published by L.S. Media. May 6th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Tom Jones, Alison Steadman, Brenda Blethyn.

Whoever thought of putting Sir Tom Jones in one of Sky Arts Playhouse Presents plays needs to be taken outside the old B.B.C. building and be told, “They would have loved you here in the heyday of drama production.”

In King of the Teds, the fourth one off drama for the digital channel, Tom Jones plays an embittered and recently made redundant bottle worker whose best days are behind him. However, in the eyes of two women, played with such wonderful ease and playfulness by Brenda Blethyn and Alison Steadman, he still has the power to be as charming and loveable when he was the appointed King of the Teddy-Boys.

The King Of The Teds. Television Review. Sky Arts. full post

(449 words, 1 image, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

Care, Television Review. Sky Arts.

One of the many high rise estates in Byker

Originally published by L.S. Media. May 20th 2012.L.S. Media Rating ***

Cast: Gina McKee, Aimee Kelly, Margaret Jackman, Kevin Watham.

The latest in the series of one-off plays shown by the Sky Arts channel dealt with the bleak and socially topical subject of care within the community.

Titled Care, the half hour drama starred Gina McKee as a district nurse charged with looking after Elsie, a long term diabetic, in the long-neglected and infamous Byker Estate in Newcastle. Like other productions within this series, it dealt very heavily with the idea of what goes on in the mind, although in this particular case it was how the mind could be seen to deal when something inside finally snaps.

Care, Television Review. Sky Arts. full post

(489 words, 1 image, estimated 1:57 mins reading time)

Walking The Dogs, Sky Arts. Television Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 2nd 2012.

L.S. Media Rating **

Cast: Eddie Marsan, Emma Thompson, Russell Tovey, Bryony Afferton.

The latest in the Sky Arts Playhouse Presents series, Walking The Dogs, tackles the very real life moment when in 1982 Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace.  This event caused a sensation, resulting in a media fury as it was revealed he had gained entry to the Queen’s bedroom and chatted with her about a variety of subjects.

Walking The Dogs, Sky Arts. Television Review. full post

(402 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

The Man, Television Review. Sky Arts.

Stellan Starsgard, Hayley Atwell, Zoe Wanamaker, Stephen Fry in The Man. Picture from Sky Arts.

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 9th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Stephen Fry, Zoe Wanamaker, Stellan Starsgard, Hayley Atwell, Tony Cosh.

The second play written for the Sky Arts series of plays by Sandi Toksvig, the engaging The Man was quite possibly one of the strangest that the series had produced so far and yet also one of the most compelling for viewers to get their thoughts around.

The Man, Television Review. Sky Arts. full post

(445 words, 1 image, estimated 1:47 mins reading time)

The Other Woman, Television Review. Sky Arts Television.

Originally published by L.S.Media. June 8th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Trevor Eve, Geraldine James, Tom Ellis, Richard E. Grant.

When art imitates life, are those that are the subject of the creative mind really aware of what they have become? This was the question that vexed Geraldine James and Trevor Eve in the latest of series of plays shown by the Sky Arts channel.

The Other Woman, Television Review. Sky Arts Television. full post

(441 words, 1 image, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)

Psycobitches, Television Review. Sky Arts Television.

Catherine Tate as Eva Braun. Picture from Radio Times

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 26th 2012L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Rebecca Front, Catherine Tate, Katy Brand, Sheila Reid, Samantha Spiro, Selina Griffiths, Andy Nyman.

The final part of Sky Arts series of short plays finished on a particular high with the bizarre but ultimately enjoyable Psycob**ches.

Psycobitches, Television Review. Sky Arts Television. full post

(479 words, 1 image, estimated 1:55 mins reading time)