h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I managed to finish all six seasons of Judge John Deed. As much as I like Martin Shaw, it is one of those series I wish I hadn't purchased. I'll certainly never watch it again. Since it is a Region 2 series, I can't donate it to the library, either.

I thought each episode would be a stand alone courtroom drama. I wanted to like it. Really. I enjoy books and films with legal themes and arguments about fine points of the law. I wasn't expecting a soap opera, a horn dog judge who put himself into compromising situations over and over or the ridiculous vendetta against him. I liked his PA or whatever her title was, Mrs Cooper, and the dogs. They were sensible. I liked an occassional victim. None of the main characters were people I'd invite to a barbecue, including Deed. A program is supposed to give you someone to root for.

Some good has come from it, though. I am now less dissatisfied with the American justice system.

Ex-wife, ex-father-in-law, mouthy daughter, string of women, everyone out to get him. It is Bergerac with a wig but minus the scenery.

Uh-huh ... Now I know to not visit Google to find out what any of it is, become curious, and then buy not only collection-sets of DVDs but also a machine that could play them.

Sometimes, being patient and letting others risk the disappointments ... works.

It's been quite a problem with British drama, especially in the last decade or so... this idea of having to have the soapy personal stuff all over the place. Sometimes it really works, but often it *really* doesn't.

Perfect example is The Bill. Originally a popular crime-a-week police drama, it got re-done as more of a soap, all about the characters' personal lives rather than just focussing on the job and it lost a hell of a lot of viewers as a result.

We watched one episode of 'Eleventh Hour', just because it had Patrick Stewart in.

I don't recommend it.

Eleventh Hour was, well, different. I didn't enjoy it much, either.

Some really good actors tale on some stinker roles, that's for sure. I suppose that waiting around for perfect roles doesn't pay the mortgage.

I recently read an interview with a young (19) Swedish actor who had the intention of only doing 'quality' films and not fall for the 'fast money, lousy story' ones. I'm guessing he has some kind of education (bsides acting) to fall back on to support himself.

Still, he listed a few directors he'd be *really interested to work with, and also some actors he saw as role models. Considering his last name, I'm not surprised he named his father and two older brothers, all of them actors that he has had a chance to study up close and learn from and be inspired by.

His name is Bill Skarsgård, third son of Stellan Skarsgård, known from films like Ronin, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Entourage TV series, Thor, Mamma Mia...