THAT '70s SHOW

The horror! The horror! Pandora's box has been opened...

Officer Grumpy and his female android partner Vicki Yoyonovitch caught 4.966.000 viewers (21.5%) on TF1 with the pathetically bad two-part pilot of Emma (see our humble opinion here).

Now be prepared for the bionic cop, the invisible cop with a Dermaplex mask, the invisible cop with a quartz watch, the cop struck by lightning, the cop from Atlantis, the alien cop, the hologram cop, the invisible cop with a "Quicksilver gland"... The possibilities are infinite. Eccentric/irreverent police consultants will run to job centers while Harlan Coben's characters will stop running. This is the end of the world as we know it.

A full 8 x 52-minute series of Emma could be commissioned by TF1.

http://www.ozap.com/actu/audiences-emma-demarre-bien-devant-l-emission-politique-esprits-criminels-en-hausse-secret-story-en-forme/509043
http://www.toutelatele.com/audiences-tv-du-jeudi-6-octobre-2016-emma-leader-sur-tf1-l-emission-politique-devance-esprits-criminels-sur-m6-secret-story-leader-tnt-85521

WATCHED THIS WEEK (TIME AND NOT THE RANI EDITION)

Right now I'm too busy coughing and sneezing (and impersonating Marlon Brando in The Godfather) for the usual reviews.

- Timeless (NBC):

[Spoiler-Free] NBC's new sci-fi drama is accused of being a rip-off of El Ministerio del Tiempo, the acclaimed Spanish sci-fi/adventure series. Javier Olivares, co-creator of El Ministerio del Tiempo with his late brother Pablo, expressed his irritation against the similarities between the two formats. Onza, the distributor, sued the parties behind the conception of Timeless, claiming that some of them were involved in discussions about an American version of El Ministerio del Tiempo. The Spanish format has already been sold in Portugal, China and France. 

Though there are (indeed) a few similarities between the US and Spanish dramas, the premiere of Timeless is more in line with shows like Seven Days, The Time Tunnel or Sliders. Clichéed beyond reasonable but competently packed, this first hour has neither the charm, nor the specific humour or even the spirit of El Ministerio del Tiempo. Of course, it paves the way for the mandatory mythology. There's the legendary Matt Frewer and a time machine which looks like the CBS logo. The main asset of Timeless is undoubtedly actor Malcolm Barrett. 

We'll leave the rest to legal experts and we'll stick to El Ministerio del Tiempo, one of the best contemporary television series. Timeless stars Abigail Spencer (Lucy Preston), Matt Lanter (Wyatt Logan), Malcolm Barrett (Rufus Carlin), Paterson Joseph, Sakina Jaffrey, Goran Visnjic, etc. Created by Eric Kripke and Shawn Ryan. Produced by MiddKid Productions, Kripke Enterprises and Davis Entertainment for Universal Television and Sony Pictures Television.

http://deadline.com/2016/09/timeless-lawsuitshawn-ryan-sony-nbcu-sued-over-claim-that-timeless-idea-was-stolen-1201827221/
http://www.the-medium-is-not-enough.com/2016/10/review_timeless_1x1_us_nbc.php 

- Emma (TF1):

A veteran cop is assigned a new partner, who's actually an experimental android. Holmes & Yoyo? No. Future Cop? No. Total Recall 2070? Wrong. It's Emma, a 2 x 52-minute pilot for a new French crime drama which premieres on TF1 this thursday. A grumpy detective, a weird police intern who could be Spock's cousin (or Vicki from Small Wonder as a cop), literal jokes, "Emma is a fourth generation android.", Asimov's three laws... Well, it's really as bad as it sounds.

Meanwhile, still no new episodes of TF1's Instinct in spite of the 5.533.000 viewers (22%) of its enjoyable two-part pilot in January 2016. Emma stars Patrick Ridremont (Commandant Fred Vitulo), Solène Hébert (Emma Faure), Slimane Yefsah, Sabrina Seyvecou, Vanessa Larré, Sophie Rodrigues, Mathieu Delarive, etc. Created by Manon Dillys and Sébastien Le Délézir. Produced by Mandarin Télévision with TF1.

http://www.tf1pro.com/press-kit/communiques/programme/tf1-emma-pilote-de-serie-de-2x52-arrive-le-jeudi-6-octobre-2055-79257

LAST MONTH ON THIS BLOG (OR ALMOST)

I don't feel better but here's a recap of last month's reviews, news (and the "almost"). Please do accept my apologies for possible coughs and sneezes.

 

REVIEWS

- Alain Carrazé - Les nouveaux feuilletonistes (Fantask):
 
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/alain-carraze-les-nouveaux.html (Complete review of this great book ASAP)

- Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie (France 2):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/les-petits-meurtres-dagatha-christie-la.html (La mystérieuse affaire de Styles)
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/les-petits-meurtres-dagatha-christie.html
(L'affaire Protheroe) 
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/les-petits-meurtres-dagatha-christie-le.html (Le cheval pâle)
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2015/11/les-petits-meurtres-dagatha.html (L'étrange enlèvement du petit Bruno - From November 2015 but France 2 aired this episode in September 2016)

- Capitaine Marleau (France 3):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/capitaine-marleau-en-trompe-loeil.html (En trompe l'oeil) 

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/capitaine-marleau-brouillard-en.html (Brouillard en Thalasso)  

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/04/capitaine-marleau-les-mysteres-de-la-foi.html (Les mystères de la foi - From April 2016 but France 3 aired this episode in September 2016) 

- Grand Hotel (Second half of S3, French Region 2 DVD):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/grand-hotel-5-second-half-of-s3-french_8.html 

  

NEWS

- El Ministerio del Tiempo (La 1):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/a-third-series-for-el-ministerio-del.html

- Capitaine Marleau (France 3):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/wow.html (Philippe Muir - Ratings of the repeat)

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/capitaine-marleau-brouillard-en_14.html (Brouillard en Thalasso - Ratings)

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/capitaine-marleau-les-mysteres-de-la.html (Les mystères de la foi - Ratings)
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/marleau-is-back-on-france-3.html

"Almost"

Some words about Albert Major parlait trop (Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie), Lucifer, Red Dwarf, and the dreadful 2016 version of MacGyver.

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/advisory-sore-throat-and-other-joys.html

Next Time

Received a few things for the blog: the DVD sets of Death comes to Pemberley (2013) and El Tiempo entre costuras (2013) from Koba Films. Also The Callan File, an amazing book about Callan, the classic spy series starring Edward Woodward. You can send me paracetamol as well, I'll gladly accept it...