Thursday, September 19, 2013

THE BANISTER BUZZ 9/19/13 - FALL FRIGHTS ON TV


There's a nip in the air, and darkness is descending earlier each evening, which means it's the perfect time of year to curl up on your couch, with a cup of hot tea or cocoa, and watch something that'll make you shiver! I don't know about you, but I love a good, creepy thrill, especially if it's supernatural in origin. Vamps, ghosts, witches, headless horseman wielding broadaxes? Bring it! Fortunately, there will be plenty of the above on TV this fall, and I can't wait to get my scare on!


FOX's heavily hyped show, Sleepy Hollow, which tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a centuries-old soldier who suddenly awakens in the new millennium along with his decapitated nemesis, debuted earlier this week. I watched it last night (Thank you, DVR!) and enjoyed it so much that I immediately rewatched some of my favorite scenes (Those would be anything involving the very dishy, even though he's in dire need of a bath, Ichabod.) It was clear that a lot of money went into this show. The production values were top-quality, making the show seem almost cinematic. I was wowed by the set design, the moody ambiance, and the camera work - it all combined to give the viewer a continuous feeling of unease. You never knew what was going to emerge from that pervasive fog, or what might pop up in the old graveyard Ichabod kept tromping around in.

What really sold me on Sleepy Hollow was the dry humor that accompanied all of the eerieness. The characters did not take themselves too seriously, and Ichabod was surprisingly droll. His interactions with the police officer (the black, female police officer), whom he ends up finding common ground with, were priceless, as were his bemused responses to discovering modern-day conveniences like power windows in a car and flashlights. Kudos to Tom Mison (I've had my eye on him since seeing him play a very compelling Bingley in Lost in Austen.) and Nicole Beharie (She's best known for being in Shame with Michael Fassbender, who was her real-life boyfriend for a while.) for their great timing and chemistry. I like that this newfound bond of Abbie and Ichabod's isn't based on any kind of sexual tension or romantic sparks (Ichabod's sorceress wife is still out there, languishing in some alternate dimension, so technically his heart is not free.)

If you missed the first airing of Sleepy Hollow, FOX will be repeating it this Friday and it's also available for viewing On Demand. I encourage you to give this wacky, highly entertaining show a shot. Do it just to hear Mison say "lieutenant" with that sexy, British accent of his . . . SWOON



Fun Fact: The showrunners of Sleepy Hollow had intended to cast an American to play Ichabod Crane, but they thought Tom was so great that they rewrote the character, making him an Oxford professor who came to America to teach and ended up defecting to our side during the Revolutionary War.  


For several years now, one of my favorite spooktastic shows has been Haven on Syfy. Don't roll your eyes at me! I know that Syfy has some questionable programming (Sharknado - for real?), but their original series are actually quite good (see also Continuum and Lost Girl.) Haven is loosely based on a Stephen King novel called "The Colorado Kid," and it's about a small, coastal town in Maine where many of the residents are "troubled," meaning they have strange powers that come and go and they can't control them most of the time which often leads to death and disaster. 

Enter FBI Agent Audrey Parker in Season 1, who comes to town looking for an escaped killer. She teams up with local detective Nathan Wuornos, and a beautiful partnership is born. Audrey seems to have a way with the troubled, which helps to keep some semblance of order in Haven. She, also, has a way with Nathan, whose trouble is that he can't feel anything (not even bullets!), except for Audrey's touch. Their love story has been a very slow-moving and engrossing one over the last three seasons, and it climaxed (Get your minds out of the gutter!) in a very shocking way at the end of S3. 

 

Season 4 just started last Friday, and let's just say that Audrey's not the woman she used to be. Will Nathan and his frenemy, Duke, be able to track NuAudrey down and restore the balance in Haven? Who the heck is this William character (played by the always awesome Colin Ferguson) and what does he have to do with NuAudrey? If you loved The X-Files, check out Haven because the shows have a very similar vibe, right down to the freaky cases of the week. You can catch up on Haven via Netflix, which has Seasons 1-3 available for streaming.

While watching Project Runway on Lifetime last week, I saw a promo for the new drama, Witches of East End and was instantly intrigued. A sexy, magic-filled show about a family of female witches who are kicking butt and seducing hot guys - Sounds like a spicier, grown-up version of Charmed, which used to be a guilty pleasure of mine. The premise is fun (the witches have been banned from using their powers and are trying to live normal, low-key lives) and the cast is great (Jenna Dewan Tatum, Rachel Boston, Julia Ormond, Madchen Amick, Eric Winter, and Daniel DiTomasso), so I am in!

 

Since the show doesn't premiere until Oct. 6th, I thought I'd entertain myself by reading the first book in the series by Melissa de la Cruz, which the TV show is based on. I'm about halfway through Witches of East End and I am thoroughly enjoying it! The writing is excellent, the character arcs are compelling, and there's lots of steamy goodness. Bodacious younger sister, Freya, gets it on with her good guy fiancé's HOT younger brother while her engagement party is going on - HELLO! It'll be interesting to see how this triangle plays out on the show. Roll on, October!


Last, but not least, I must bring to your attention the latest re-imagining of that classic vamp tale, Dracula, which will air on NBC on Friday nights, starting on Oct. 25th. This show looks like it's going to be some particularly ripe fromage with lead bloodsucker, Jonathan Rhys Myers, chewing scenery with his fake fangs and a bad American accent. Will I watch? Of course! And who knows? It may turn out be delightfully campy (I'm already loving the steampunk style costumes the characters are wearing.) And I am fond of several members of the supporting cast, Thomas Kretschmann, who's always divine, super cute Jake Gyllenhaal lookalike Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and my girl, Katie McGrath, who was so good at being bad on Merlin

 

What have been some of your favorite shows with supernatural elements? Is there any type of horror you can't abide? For me, it's zombies. I cannot deal with those decomposing, brain-eating creepers, which is why I have to pretend like The Walking Dead doesn't exist - SHUDDER

Until next time, Buzzers . . . Wishing you a fabulous fall TV season and a super scary Halloween. Oh wait, we still have six more weeks to go until Halloween. I got confused since all of the costumes and candy are already out at the stores. <shakes head>

12 comments:

  1. I'm not a big tv fan. But, I do want to see Dracula and now that you bring up Witches of East End, I think I may want to watch that one too. I did good getting away from the tv, now I just might get hooked again. LOL! The only other tv show I watch is Hawaii 50.

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    1. Funny that the one show you watch, Hawaii Five-0, is the one that I gave up last year, Janine!

      I have serious reservations about Dracula, but I cannot resist the siren call of vampires. So, I'll watch and hope for the best.

      Fingers crossed that Witches of East End will be as good as the book, which I am almost through reading. Great stuff!

      Thanks for leaving a comment! :)

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  2. I, too, enjoyed Mison's Ichabod Crane and will continue to watch Sleepy Hollow this season, although I hope he gets a shower and a haircut at some point. I'm totally tuning into Dracula, because you can never laugh too much in life, AND I love Oliver Jackson-Cohen. As for other shows I like with supernatural elements... not many. They tend to be too cheesy for my taste, and I can't stand zombies, either (except in the movie, Shaun of the Dead, but that was different, because that was Simon Pegg, and I love him. I can't wait to see World's End... in a few years, when I get the chance).

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    1. I'm glad I have you to share my Sleepy Hollow/Tom Mison obsession with Brea. Love that show! I look forward to seeing Clean Ichabod soon. I don't want dirt distracting me from the pretty!

      If we survived multiple seasons of the high camp on True Blood, I'm sure we can manage the Dracula cheesefest. Let's hope nothing bad happens to Harker (OJC) or Van Helsing (Kretschmann) since they are my main draws to the show.

      I think I'm the only person on the planet who wasn't amused by Shaun of the Dead. Watched it on DVD and was bored, tho I do like Simon Pegg - Scotty!

      Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment, Brea!

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  3. I loved Sleepy Hollow! I'd tune in just to hear Ichabod Crane say Lieutenant any day. Although, I don't agree, I think there was some sort of spark between the two main characters and I can imagine a love triangle in the near future. I'm looking forward to the Witches of East End and Dracula. I'm going to check out Haven and see if it's on Netflix.
    Keep up the great work!

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    1. Tom and Nicole definitely had chemistry; I was just glad they didn't drop an anvil on our heads about the characters secretly having the hots for each other like they usually do on these shows with male/female partners. Let the relationship develop slowly and see what happens, I say. Abbie probably doesn't want to get on the bad side of Mrs. Crane, though. She seems to be powerful despite being trapped on another plane. No telling what she might do to anyone who tried something with her man!

      Yay, I'm glad you're planning to watch Witches and Dracula, Elizabeth. More for us to talk about!

      And yes, Netflix has the first three seasons of Haven available for renting/streaming. I highly recommend the show. It's fantastic! And the scenery is gorgeous since it's filmed on location in Nova Scotia.

      Thanks for leaving a comment!

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  4. I'm not a big fan of spooky things.. but since you've introduced me to so many great shows recently, I might give Sleepy Hallow a shot. (And it's not just because that Tom Mison guy is adorable. OK, maybe it is.) Another great Banister Buzz!! :)

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    1. You MUST watch Sleepy Hollow, Cat. I'm sure you'd enjoy it. And the show really isn't that scary or bloody. I'm so delighted that Tom has a leading role on this show, and it's doing well right out of the gate. Another sexy Brit named Tom for us to add to our harem! ;)

      Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment!

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  5. I like spooky, but like Brea, I don't like cheesy. I thought that Sleepy Hallow looked good - and not cheesy (maybe it's the English accent!) ;) so we're going to give that one a try!

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    1. I thought the cheese factor was pretty low in the Sleepy Hollow pilot, Jackie, so you're safe to watch it. ;) You'll have to let me know what you and Mike think.

      Thanks for reading and leaving a comment! :)

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  6. Thanks for doing the leg work on this, Banister. I'll admit, I've been skeptical about this "Sleepy Hollow" business. What with all of the promotions and the fact that every NFL/NCAA sports announcer has been contractually obligated to refer to it as the TV event of the year, I didn't know what to expect.

    Now I might have to check it out.

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    1. My pleasure, Laura, although watching an hour of Tom Mison in action was not a hardship for me. ;)

      Now that you have cable TV and all of those wonderful channels, it behooves you to watch everything I recommend. ;) So, get on that! I expect a full report on Sleepy Hollow. I have no doubt that you will enjoy it.

      Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment! :)

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