TELL IT LIKE IT IS

The Last Weekend (ITV1) [Spoiler-free review]. From Carnival Films (Downton Abbey, Whitechapel) comes this compelling and well-paced 3 X 60-minute psychological thriller adapted from Blake Morrison's novel by Mick Ford (Single Father) and directed by Jon East.

« The owls are not what they seem. » (Twin Peaks)
« Everybody lies. » (Gregory House)

Two unlikely friends, Ian (Shaun Evans) and Ollie (Rupert Penry-Jones), spend a bank holiday weekend at a lovely Suffolk cottage with their respective partners, Em (Claire Keelan) and Daisy (Genevieve O'Reilly). The former is a disillusioned primary school teacher, the latter a successful barrister. « Every year, or at least when we can, Ollie and I have a three event triathlon for money. Which... which matters. » What should be a relaxing four-day break turns bad when competition between the two university buddies and hidden feelings resurface with tragic consequences.

« I don't want you to feel like I'm hiding things from you, but I don't want you missing out either. Because each piece of information matters. » Three months later Ian narrates and comments what happened in and around the country house, but also his student days when the two men met Daisy for the first time. « All truth is subjective. » Ollie has a secret. Why did he tell Ian that he "could murder someone tomorrow"? And who is Milo (Swedish actor Alexander Karim) who joins the couples with his two daughters?

« You shouldn't be driving.
- It's my last weekend. »

The Last Weekend is a twisted tale of friendship, "love", jealousy and manipulation with welcome shakespearean accents. Facing the always excellent Rupert Penry-Jones as another upper-class lawyer (he's Clive Reader in Silk), Shaun Evans (Endeavour, Martina Cole's The Take) delivers a stunning performance as our guide to this round trip from confusion to tragedy. « Everything's connected, you see. Everything. » The elements spread throughout the three parts lead you to a red colored conclusion but first look who's talking.

The smart cinematography is by the talented Adam Suschitzky. The atmospheric score is by Rob Lane (Hidden, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher). Carnival's Sally Woodward Gentle (Whitechapel) exec produces The Last Weekend, which is distributed globally by NBCUniversal. Christopher Hall (Hidden) is the producer.

« Daisy, Daisy.
Give me your answer, do.
I'm half crazy.
All for the love of you. »
(Harry Dacre, Daisy Bell)

MASTERCLASS

Dallas, the 2012 version of the landmark 80s primetime soap, aired from June to August on American cable channel TNT. It is announced in France for January 2013 on private channel TF1 (after a release this summer on its VoD service in English with subs) and arrives in the U.K. on Channel 5 this Wednesday September 5th.

« Blood may be thicker than water but oil is thicker than both. »

Created by David Jacobs, the original Dallas ran for 356 episodes from 1978 to 1991 on US network CBS. It centered on the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family who owned the 340-acre Southfork ranch and the Ewing Oil company. Its eldest son, the scheming J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), rapidly became the most popular character. He was constantly feuding with his younger and nicer brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and was married to the long-suffering alcoholic Sue Ellen (Linda Gray). Dallas made television history in 1980 with one of its trademark cliffhangers when someone shot J.R. - but he survived. Later a whole season was made a "dream" to allow the return of Bobby from the dead... in his shower.

Finally the devil himself (the great Joel Grey) seemed to succeed in doing what even J.R.'s worst enemy, Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), couldn't do as the show bowed out at the end of its fourteenth season - Dallas's spinoff Knots Landing had a similar long run from 1979 to 1993. J.R. and the Ewings, however, came back for two reunion TV movies in 1996 and 1998 before cable channel TNT decided in 2010 to bring back Dallas for a filming the following year. Developed by writer and producer Cynthia Cidre (Cane, The Mambo Kings), the new series is a continuation of its predecessor - although events of the movies are ignored - and stars a new regular cast alongside Dallas nobilities Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Larry Hagman.

Desperate Housewives alumni Jesse Metcalfe and Josh Henderson play Christopher and John Ross, respectively Bobby's adopted son and J.R.'s son. The family is about to gather at Southfork for Christopher's wedding with Rebecca Sutter (Julie Gonzalo) when John Ross and Elena Ramos (Jordana Brewster) discover a gusher under the ranch. But Bobby, happily married to Ann (Desperate Housewives regular Brenda Strong) and retired from the oil business to raise cattle, wants no drilling on the 150-year old property. So John Ross complains to daddy, who's silent in a cozy nursing home for clinical depression. Finding the spark he needed to regenerate, J.R. mutters that « Bobby was always a fool ». The Master... Reborn!

« It's better to be old than to be the devil. »

Larry Hagman, 80, is in top shape. J.R. Ewing is more dangerous than ever, the cross between a Shakesperean patriarch, a mafia don (the pre-credit sequence of the third episode) and an alligator. Ken Kercheval, 76, appears in 3 episodes as J.R.'s arch-nemesis Cliff Barnes - now in the casino business - who has a pivotal role in the new series (1). The 2012 Dallas has some of the defects of contemporary American dramas but captures brilliantly the spirit of the original, towards which it shows a lot of respect through a multitude of details (« Nobody gives you power, real power is something you take. ») Viewers need time to get interest for the young generation but their patience is rewarded and Josh Henderson conquers his legitimacy as J.R.'s heir with style.

The new Dallas is entirely and superbly filmed in Texas and of course at the legendary Southfork Ranch. Though shortened the fabulous theme intro by Jerrold Immel is there in a great soundtrack by Rob Cairns. TV buffs will enjoy the presence of Carlos Bernard (24) as ruthless Venezualian businessman Vicente Cano and Mitch Pileggi (The X-Files) as Harris Ryland, Ann Ewing's sneaky ex-husband. This 10-episode series - it is renewed for a second season in 2013 - is a masterclass on how a television classic must be revived, a family saga equivalent of the modern Doctor Who in terms of TV resurrection: a gift to the fans and a classy invitation for a new public. The "new" Dallas? No, Dallas.

Dallas is produced by Cynthia Cidre's prodco Cyntax in association with Warner Horizon Television.

« We've got some catching up to do, son. »

(1) Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing) and Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs) also appear.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/interviews/2012/06/13/interview-dallas-executive-producer-cynthia-cidre-682302/20120613_dallas/
http://www.fastcocreate.com/1680923/dallas-showrunner-on-reviving-a-classic-show-without-rebooting-it
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/us/dallas-now-on-tnt-is-really-filmed-in-dallas-this-time.html?_r=1

NERO WOLFE (RAI UNO)

Nero Wolfe, the literary detective created by American novelist Rex Stout in 1934, has been adapted several times for cinema, radio, and television. The orchid-growing gourmet sleuth, who rarely leaves his house and sends his trusted assistant Archie Goodwin on the crime scenes, is particularly appreciated in Italy.

Between 1969 and 1971, Italian pubcaster RAI produced ten Nero Wolfe TV movies based on the books published in Italy by Mondadori in its collection I Classici del Giallo. Hugely popular, they starred Tino Buazzelli as Wolfe and Paolo Ferrari as Archie. 43 years later, RAI brings back the detective duo in a 8 X 90-minute series.

Aired between april and may on RAI Uno, the new Nero Wolfe is made by actor Luca Barbareschi's prodco Casanova Multimedia (Zodiaco, the Italian version of the French miniseries Zodiaque) for RAI Fiction. Francesco Pannofino and Pietro Sermonti, who both played in the sitcom Boris (2007-2010) and its subsequent film, are the new Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.

« Salve! Mi chiamo Archie Goodwin. »

1959, the great American detective and his assistant arrive in Rome from New York. Wolfe is in a "voluntary exile" because of some disagreements between him and the boss of the FBI. His priorities are to set up a greenhouse for his precious orchids and to find a cook able to satisfy his refined palate, but he rapidly also gets food for his deductive genius. Goodwin provides the field work and gathers information as usual. Nero Wolfe 2012 is adapted from the work of Rex Stout by Piero Bodrato (La Piovra 10), Graziella Giardello, Roberto Jannone and Alessandro Sermonetta. Bodrato is also head writer.

The production from Casanova Multimedia intends to maintain a bond with the beloved previous RAI version although the 1969 adaptation was set in "New York", thanks to insert shots of the town, but filmed by director Giuliana Berlinguer in Italian soundstages. Nero Wolfe keeps the atmosphere of the classic series while transplanting the main characters in the Rome setting for a period crime drama. Not unlike what French detective series Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie did with classic Christie stories set in 1930s and later 1950s France.

This process works rather well, helped by the physique of Francesco Pannofino, the way he portrays Wolfe and his proven teaming with Pietro Sermonti. The 2012 transposition of Nero Wolfe is very pleasant, like its cool and stylish score composed by La Femme Piège (Andrea Toso and Mattia Donna). Other cast members include Andy Luotto as Nanny Laghi, the new chef of the Wolfe household, Giulia Bevilacqua (Distretto di polizia) as reporter Rosa Petrini, and Marcello Mazzarella as Commissioner Graziani.

Saverio D'Ercole is the creative producer and Claudio Gaeta exec produces. Lorenza Bizzarri produces for RAI and Luca Barbareschi is the producer for Casanova Multimedia. La traccia del serpente, the premiere episode, is adapted from the novel Fer de Lance and directed by Riccardo Donna (Nebbie e delitti, Un medico in famiglia).

http://www.nerowolfe.rai.it/dl/portali/site/page/Page-49357e7c-3fae-44ab-a5dd-61fd1f6cb144.html
http://en.casanovamultimedia.it/produzioni/nero-wolfe/
http://www.kataweb.it/tvzap/2012/04/03/il-duo-di-boris-per-il-ritorno-di-nero-wolfe-404243/
http://www.sorrisi.com/2012/04/05/un-americano-a-roma-e-nero-wolfe/

See also:

http://www.mattiadonna.it/ (Mattia Donna - Official website)
http://www.nerowolfe.org/