Agent Scully Could Do Better...

Gillian Anderson will always be Special Agent Dana Scully for 'thetvreviewguy'. Such was the impact of the 'X Files', that it was hard for Anderson, a talented and impressive actress, to break out of the career-defining role. But break-out she did and eagle-eyed spotters will have seen her in classy ventures like 'The Last King of Scotland' and she's currently starring in the new TV production 'Hannibal'. Which brings us to 'The Fall', (BBC2/RTE1) which stars Anderson as a Senior Met Police Officer brought in to Belfast to review a murder case where she rapidly realise she's hunting a serial killer. Despite an excellent cast (Jamie Dornan extremely menacing as the murderer [its ok, we know he is, 'Colombo-like'] and John Lynch as conscientious Officer), we never escape from the predictability of the 'murder most horrid' school of detective TV which is now the mainstream. The subtleties, plotting, characterisation and cerebrum stroking of shows like 'Lewis' or 'Endeavour' are becoming less and less the norm. There's undoubtedly a viewership for this but 'thetvreviewguy' won't be tuning in for a second episode of stalking, slashing, strangulation and dark, dark lighting. Actors, writers and
directors stand by their work, but in this case, through no fault of the actors, sadly, they 'fall'.

The Appliance of Science

What would you like to with your life? Would you like to be an internationally renowned physicist, an accomplished musician, a fine Draughtsman, an inspirational educator, a rebel against authority or a beloved Pater Familias? 'The Fantastic Mr Feynman' (BBC2) looked back on the incredible life of Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman, a man who managed to do all these things, as well as being one of the designers of the Atom Bomb as part of the Manhattan Project, a role of which he would feel great remorse once the Bomb was dropped. Feynman packed so much into one lifetime that it is hard to see how someone could be as much a polymath in today's era of specialisation and information overload - he was, perhaps, the last Renaissance Man. Science was baffling to 'thetvreviewguy' when he was a lad, and Feynman, with his sense of the poetic, the aesthetic and his belief that creativity, not data, is at the heart of all our endeavours, would inspire anyone with his enthusiasm, his style and his love of life. Instrumental in unearthing the root cause of the Challenger disaster, Feynman's distrust of authority came from his father who cautioned him not to respect rank or 'epaulettes' (as he called it) for their own sake. While the mathematical genius manifested in the man is something most of us can only admire from afar and maybe try to understand, it was the humanity in the life of the fantastic Dr Feynman itself that stands as his legacy, as much as his work.

Take a Walk on the Wild Life

Derek Mooney is fast establishing himself as the ‘For Hire’ RTE Presenter and general Voiceover guy. In 'Secrets of the Irish Landscape' (RTE1), he provided the necessary once again and his love of the natural world (see his previous, usually understated, work for RTE) is never far from the surface. This (and its become a staple of Nature Documentaries) beautifully shot documentary looked at the geological and botanical links between Ireland, Spain and Iceland and at how relatively new the undulating, lush green Irish landscape is. We heard about the stalwart research of Robert Praeger a century ago and how he walked the country, recording the plant life on each walk, sometimes covering up to 50 kilometres on a weekend logging his finds. If it weren't for these pioneers, we would be considerably more ignorant about the World around us. While 'thetvreviewguy' found the extraneous shots of Mooney's Four Wheel Drive resembled uncomfortable, half-hearted, product placement, this is a modest negative when compared to the knowledge imparted by the featured scientists and assorted experts.  Geology and botany are really never ending subjects, which means that such documentaries will always be throwing up new material. And, yes, the Icelandic views did look spectacular - another country that 'thetvreviewguy' has to add to his 'to do' list. The programme makers really made Ireland look good and must have an eye on being picked up Stateside or becoming a DVD hit with the tourist market. A fine production.