Daleks in New York? Meh.

[viktor_haag]

After watching the big Dalek two-parter, I have to say.... meh. The writing just seems somehow uncomfortable and very uneven. Precious few good dialog beats and far too many bad ones. Uneasy moments between characters. Horrid accents (how many times must we endure the Leslie Anne Warren platinum blonde? And the aw-shucks southern boy? Gah!).

There are good moments, and lots of big-set eye candy.

But on the whole, I have to say that this big two-parter is a disappointment. Especially when compared to last year's Age Of Steel. I hope the series gets better after this; the writers are running out of my patience when it comes to the new companion. I like Agyeman, I do, but they still haven't got a good fit between her and Tenant; and it feels like they're fumbling around in the dark for a rhythm that just may not be there.

Comments

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

Horrid accents, huh? I've not been following the new Who (not my cup of tea), but I'd have hoped that British television had evolved beyond the days when their repertoire of American accents consisted of New York cabbie and Texan rancher.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

I think that they managed to get some actually American actors for this particular set of episodes, but that didn't stop them from shoe-horning some of them into really bad accents. On the other hand, it's entirely possible that the few really bad accents were in fact Brits pretending to be Yanks. I find that almost as annoying (but not quite) as Yanks pretending to be Brits. Especially when they're lauded for the "genuine" quality of their accents. Gah. Those of us with a mimic's ear can tell, dammit. And it's like dragging nails down a black-board.

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

I'd never much noticed bad British accents on American television, not that there probaby aren't lots of them. In my albeit limited experience (I don't watch much TV anymore), American shows are more apt to hire actual British actors to play British characters than UK shows are to hire Americans. There are exceptions, of course, but I suspect that economies of scale come into play here, with American television being much better placed to find and hire British actors than vice versa.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Yes, I wasn't thinking so much of television as Hollywood. I call it "The Bridget Jones Phenomenon" and it makes me sad.

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. That's the unfortunate corollary to the riches of the American entertainment industry: when you already have a very highly-paid and popular star in a role, you never stop to consider that letting Kevin Costner try and pull off an English accent is a very bad idea indeed. *shudder*

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Oh God! I had just managed to forget the horror that was Costner and Mastrantionio essaying those roles. Auuugghh!