THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

[13.14 - French Time] Rupert Murdoch's Sky ambitions to be a major player on the British drama front, beyond one-off coups such as Skellig or short serials like Martina Cole's The Take. Chris Ryan's Strike Back starts next week and definitely wants to match US heavyweights of the action genre on TV.

Based on the multi-million best-selling book by former SAS man Chris Ryan, the 6 x 60-minute series stars Richard Armitage (Spooks, Robin Hood) as John Porter and Andrew Lincoln (This Life, Teachers) as Hugh Collinson. On the eve of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a Special Forces unit lead by John Porter is on a daring hostage rescue mission into the heart of Basra. But the operation turns into a disaster for Porter and Collinson and haunts Porter for years, until the discharged veteran finds an occasion to return to Iraq and redeem himself.

Shot in South Africa, Strike Back has been adapted by Jed Mercurio (Bodies) and is directed by Daniel Percival (The State Within) for the first four hours, and Edward Hall (Spooks) for the last two. It is produced by Left Bank Pictures (Wallander) for Sky1 HD and Sky1 and internationally distributed by BBC Worldwide.

The impressive cast includes Toby Stephens, Jodhi May, Orla Brady, and Colin Salmon. Author Chris Ryan is the co-creator of ITV's hit action/drama series Ultimate Force (2002-2008), which starred actor, author and journalist Ross Kemp.

Chris Ryan's Strike Back starts May 5 on Sky1 HD and Sky1.

http://sky1.sky.com/strike-back
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/blogs/action-gets-the-british-treatment/5013282.article
http://sky1.sky.com/strike-back-trailer
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7640678/Chris-Ryan-Im-not-sure-I-could-deal-with-Afghanistan.html

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2010/03/sky-wants-13-episode-drama-series.html

TA2 ADVISORY

[6.50 - French Time] Cough, cough, sneeze, etc.

Thank you very much for your patience, your interest, your fidelity and your trust.

THE STONE KILLERS

[Updated] [April 25th, 10.59 - French Time] Doctor Who - The Time of Angels (Series Five, Episode Four): In which the Doctor is reunited with Her Indoors and faces familiar enemies. While poor Amy gets stoned.

It begins like a scene from an episode of The Avengers, goes on like an ITC show. Then the Doctor does his Indiana Jones while the action continues (« Hello Sweetie ») like in a Spooks episode and finishes James Bond style (« Like I said on the dance floor, you might want to find something to hang on to. ») And this is only the pre-credits sequence!

Once again there are shades of series one in The Time of Angels. Remember when you could have a political conspiracy, a pre-watershed horror movie, and a nod to Love actually all in a single episode. Here you've got 42 minutes of Aliens, Moonlighting, Ring (« It's just a recording ») and Predator, directed by Adam Smith - the best candidate to direct a Christmas special. And writtten by His Excellency Steven Moffat, modern master of psychological terror and Patron Saint of every furniture shop in the UK: because with him sofa sales go through the roof (you definitely need one to watch the show).

« She's the future, my future. » Cry him a river... Played by Alex Kingston, archaeologist Doctor River Song (Silence in The Library/Forest of the Dead) is back, which means trouble for the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). This time she (apparently unwillingly) "scouts" for troops of paramilitary priests hunting a much familiar menace: « Doctor, what do you know of the Weeping Angels? »

Fun scenes between Mr and "Mrs Doctor" (the blue stabilizers) and an experiment in terror with the aptly called Maze of The Dead are some of the highlights of this instant classic: « I didn't escape sir, the angel killed me too. It snapped my neck. Sorry for the confusion. » Nice to see Simon Dutton, and the cliffhanger was riveting. Not sure for the Graham Norton as Darrin Stephens cameo...

Favourite lines: « I'm nobody's taxi service and I'm not going to be there to catch you every time you feel like jumping out of a spaceship » and « Er...no, I mean he had two heads ».

Update (7.55 - French Time): Superb review in Cathode Ray Tube (http://cathoderaytube.blogspot.com/2010/04/doctor-who-series-5-time-of-angels.html).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/apr/24/doctor-who-time-of-angels
http://denofgeek.net-genie.co.uk/television/471290/open_letter_to_whoever_put_a_graham_norton_graphic_over_tonights_doctor_who.html