Paradoxical paranoia

Yes, I must be mad since I am still watching this, but it is addictive in a strange way (not Strangeways which is a Prison in Manchester). For some reason the show's producers hook you in with titilation about something to do with the MoD. There is a clip, which unfortunately is only available in the UK, where Christian, the Scientist, and DI Flint (Tamzin Outhwaite) discuss the fact that the source of the images may be the Prometheus Satellite with hints that the MoD is behind it all.

For some reason, conspiracy theories are taking over BBC Sci-Fi. The 2008 remake of Survivors is terrible because it hints at secret labs and black helicopters starting the plague. Add in that it happened as the media were whipping up hysteria about H1N1 when it came out. The problem is that the original series had the plague run amok, rather than be controlled by evil government (big business?) scientists. That makes the remake seem really bad along with the fact that the show collapses a lot of the story lines within the original series. Not to mention Talfryn Thomas played Tom Price in the original as a bit of a clown whereas Max Beesley's Tom Price is an armed robber.

But that's an aside that I wanted to get off my chest since the "evil MoD" aspect is contrasted with these images could be a message from God. Not sure what message God is trying to convey here, but...

We are seeing the surly scientist being a bit more helpful, but still off in his own world while the three cops try to figure out what exactly is going on here. This is a truly complicated puzzle that only having a good scriptwriter could make work (somebody find a good scriptwriter--pronto). To be honest, this is not a show you can just start watching since you need to come at the plotline from the beginning. Sorry, no spoilers for you, but plot lines run like the images from the future and blend in to make this a bit confusing. One plotline will go through at least three episodes (we have had images of the future on this in the form of the previews at the end of the show).

This might be one show that having a US remake might make a bit more comprehensible. And if I am saying a US remake could make this bearable, this sucker is baaaaaad.

It's like God's talking to Manchester.

Or More Paradox!

Well, I've got to admit that this show is getting better, but it must be the writing and not Tamzin's acting. In fact, she wasn't as obvious which is probably why last night's episode was getting better.

Plus, it's getting to be a bit of a cliff hanger. What is the MoD (Ministry of Defence) up to with Prometheus? What will happen to the rapist? Who is sending the images of the future?

I have to admit I have this theory that there is some sort of MoD distant viewing project going on. The images of the future come from the Prometheus satellite. Not to mention the MoD folk tend to have an idea that this is an "ongoing project". And is this some supernatural superhacker who is sending the images?

I guess that is a bit of a bombshell since I never mentioned that these images download from a satellite and give the team 12 hours to solve the puzzle. That sets up the question of who or what is downloading the pictures. Or as I mentioned in the first review:

“Where are these photos coming from?” DI Flint asked. “Aliens? God?”

Um ... Derek Acorah?

Derek Acorah (or someone like him) may be the answer.

Anyway, even though it's pretty awful, I am hooked.

Curse BBC iPlayer!

Yeah, I'm a masochist

I have to admit to watching episode 2 of Paradox out of some weird curiosity after trashing it in my Paradox Review. Strangely enough, I did a piece about it starring Tamzin Outhwaite where I made the comment that "I am not sure how that (having T.O. as the star) bodes".

I told myself that if it became too transparent as to what was going to happen, that I would watch something else. But, this time the plot was a little more thrilling. Episode 2 was better than one was, but that wasn't hard. First off, there is a bit more plot development.

We encounter the spooks at the end of episode 1 who make Tamzin and crew sign the Official Secrets Act, which means they can't talk about what they did. Well, the spooks are making all sorts of ominous comments about the first time being just chance in Episode 2. Also, the surly scientist is beginning to warm up to the crew. This makes you wonder if the mysterious downloads of future events are that mysterious after all.

Can your curiousity over come Tamzin Outhwaite's bad acting? Or do you think she is that hot a babe that it is worth watching her no matter how bad she is at acting? How curious are you about the prospect of something exciting happening?

British TV has made quite a bit out of time travel: Dr. Who, Catweazle, Timeslip, Sapphire & Steel, Crime Traveller, Torchwood (An anagram of Dr. Who), Ashes to Ashes, Life on Mars. Remember that Dr. Who is mentioned in theGuinness World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world. So, add in mysteries (something else that is over-represented in British TV) and hey presto you have more fodder for scripts! Although, I have a hard time with imagining anythiing with Outhwaite as the star lasting that long.

On the other hand, I was told that you have to grab the audience's eye early on to make your story sell. Perhaps they are hoping that Tamzin will grab the viewer's eye. She might grab mine if she had a more pleasant face. On the other hand, I think about getting a blow job from a piranha when I look at Outhwaite. She'd have to have a lot more jiggle than she shows in this to be a turn on even if we were in a position where I didn't have to look at her face.

Although, thinking about it we have the prospect of some seriously unpleasant fake lovemaking in this series. Tamzin's surly cop bonking the surly scientist. I'm just imagining that pair trying to manage a post-coital smile makes me think of Lurch in the Addams family. It's even more of a stretch to imagine them having any fun (especially since we see Outhwaite break up from her boyfriend and fellow team mate after spending the night with him at the start of Episode 2).

Well, the Beeb has commissioned 5 episodes in the hope that this show will keep up its 4.13m (16.3%) for the next three episodes. Well, Red Cap made two seasons which means there's hope for this one.

editorial comment: I originally said that Red Cap had three seasons, which was incorrect. They were just so bad it seemed like it lasted forever.

Paradox review

Hey maybe you couldn't give a shit about this, but I did say I was interested in this show. So, here are my impressions of it.

The Telegraph started with this line in its review:

Here’s a useful tip for you. The next time you have trouble getting the police to come round and investigate a crime, simply ring the station and explain that you’re a top scientist and that you want to see “a clever police officer” at once.

That pretty much says it all,although I wouldn't call Tamzin Outwaite's Character very clever. The Telegraph also pointed out that, despite having called the police with an urgent request for assistance, the Scientist ends up being more of an annoyance than a help. He did offer some suggestions, but mostly went about doing his own business. And he did this in a very broody manner.

In fact, the whole thing seemed rather contrived. For something that promised so much action, there really wasn't a whole heck of a lot happening. It was fast paced inaction. Not to ruin the suspense if you are masochistic enough to watch this, but it was a predictable and truly terminal act of stupidity that the crew was trying to avoid. It is so predictable, that if you do chance to see this, your guess as to what is going to happen is correct that you needn't bother watching after you figure out the plotline.

Tamzin Outhwaite was probably the reason most people watched the show. The Guardian's header on this: I'm a Celebrity gets double the audience of BBC drama Paradox. Tamzin seems to do bitchy cop very well and this is a reprise of her Jo McDonagh from Red Cap. In fact, they should have called her that, but that might have confused the storyline.

Tamzin is like watching the real girl in "Lars and the Real Girl" except that Tamzin is capable of movement. I have to go with the celeb factor for her pulling the 4.13m (16.3%) audience.

The Leicester Mercury had a pretty funny review:

The plot was like something you’d get if you tried to complete a jigsaw using discarded pieces of Minority Report, 24, Spooks and FlashForward.

And the script was awful. “Where are these photos coming from?” DI Flint asked. “Aliens? God?”

Um ... Derek Acorah?

If you saw this in a cinema, after coughing up cash to get in, you’d pelt the screen with popcorn.

But TV is a little more forgiving. So let’s be kind. Paradox has done the hard work: establishing that a Manchester rozzer probes tomorrow. Maybe it will get better now.

After all, who’d have thought there was hope for a series about a bloke spinning through space in a police box?

If you don't mind spoilers, the Leicester Mercury review is worth a squiz. I mean anyone who can come up with this comment:

Well, they’re (Manchester Police) used to unusual demands on their rota now.

In Life on Mars, they had a detective from the present, on secondment to the past.

Has got to be worth reading.

But, Paradox is not a Life on Mars. Don't waste your time with it. I didn't need a critic to tell me it was crap, but it was worth it to read the Leicester Mercury review.

Paradox on BBC One!

I am not sure how much hype is involved in BBC One's series Paradox, which is starting tonight at 21h00. It does star Tamzin Outhwaite which I am not sure how that bodes. I never saw her on EastEnders since she is best known as Melanie Owen. I saw Red Cap which I give a 6 out of 10, not sure how I managed to watch the entire series: perhaps due to Tamzin being the star of the show. Or perhaps due to masochism.

Oh, yeah, I can't forget that she was also in Hustle (A Touch of Class) and Hotel Babylon.

Anyway, Paradox has been compared to the Minority Report since both series deal with future crimes and stopping them. I like that Wikipedia describes the Minority Report as "The story mainly concerns the paradoxes and alternate realities that are created by the precognition of crimes when the chief of police intercepts a precognition that he is about to murder a man he has never met."

The Beeb writeup of Paradox is:

Mysterious images that show incidents 18 hours before they happen are transmitted from space. As a space scientist attempts to explain their source, detectives race against time to change the future.

Well, one episode won't kill me!