TV REVIEW: Masters of Sex - Episode One

 As a part, albeit a very different part, of the seemingly endless parade of sex themed shows on Channel 4 at present, Masters of Sex, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan (Janice from Mean Girls everyone!!!!)  tells the story of the Sexual Revolution- capitals necessary.

Back in the 1950s, obstetrician William Masters (Sheen) , whilst stuck in a barren marriage himself, seemingly spending his every waking moment desperately trying to provide as many women with the means to procreate as possible. One evening, and this is where we join Masters of Sex, he ducks out of a benefit event early to go and watch a prostitute and her client through the keyhole. Don’t worry, the prostitute had consented to this. Afterwards, over a burger, he is shocked to learn that not only did she fake her orgasm, but that this is very much common practice, not only amongst prostitutes but amongst women in general. Greatly perturbed by this discovery, he resolves to launch a study into peoples’ physiological reactions to, er, stimuli, come hell or high water in terms of his university's backing. He is joined in this mission by his secretary turned assistant, sexually free thinking ex-nightclub singer Virginia Johnson (Caplan).

Episode One saw the pair watching volunteer ‘couples’ get it on from behind two-way mirrors, battling with the impact on their personal lives as well as widespread disapproval from their peers in the process. Apart from the peers who happen to also be volunteers of course, they’re all for the project, funnily enough. Graphic as all this sounds, and the show certainly leaves little to the imagination in terms of what the test subjects are getting up to, this is nothing like Sex Box (also Channel 4, surprise, surprise) - everything is very tasteful, non-gratuitous and is in keeping with the rest of the programme. It’s even quite tender and sweet in parts, as one volunteer asks his female partner if he is allowed to kiss her, whilst she remembers a brief meeting at a party they may once have had. The love lives of Masters and Johnson are incorporated well also, with Johnson branded a whore for her attitude that love and sex can be entirely separate, and Masters viewed as a pervert for his scientific interests.

 The two themselves are played well by Sheen and Caplan, with both capturing the awkwardness of the time and contemporary attitudes to their work, as well as the excitement and discovery of the study they are embarking upon together. Sheen in particular captures the slightly controlling, almost a tiny bit sinister elements of his character, especially in contrast to the conveniently different personality of Caplan’s character.

Ironically, little of Episode One really, ahem, stood out for me. The script isn’t especially titillating and the revolutionary aspects of the work Masters and Johnson were doing is lost an overall feel of hospital administration, hygienic looking sets and general dullness. It just doesn’t feel exciting enough, despite the casts' best efforts, and no amount of, admittedly stunning, 1950s costumes and quaint turns of phrase in the script is going to really highlight just how amazing what they were doing was, unless the two come across more opposition than just a slightly grumpy professor in future episodes.

Ever the optimist, I’m going to keep going. I’ll let you know if the climax is worth the slog.

Jen

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TV REVIEW: Southcliffe - The Hollow Shore

As an audience, we're spoilt for choice with excellent crime dramas at the moment and Southcliffe, should the series continue in the same vein as the first episode, will be no exception. Directed by Sean Durkin (of Martha Marcy May Marlene - also well worth a look), Southcliffe tells the story of a tragic shooting in a sleepy coastal town through the build-up, the event itself and the subsequent fallout. It's bleak subject matter, but is handled sensitively by Tony Grisoni, the man also behind Channel 4's excellent drama Red Riding. The first episode focuses in the shooter himself, the mentally unstable Stephen (Sean Harris) and the returning soldier Chris (Joe Dempsie).

Opening in suitably shocking fashion with gunshots ripping through the quiet coastal air, Southcliffe then takes a step back to before the shootings take place. From there on in, the pace slows right down in order to continue the creeping sense of dread that permeates those opening scenes. Moody and atmospheric, Durkin allows shots to linger whether they are close-ups of his actors or simply of the gorgeous Kent scenery with its mists and gloom. It's both beautiful and threatening, a location that seems idyllic one minute and terrifyingly remote the next. The opening scenes demonstrate this stark contrast brilliantly; a woman gardening is interrupted by a gunshot that wounds her before a succession of shots of the quiet villages, punctuated by gunfire and the ominous approach of sirens. In these moments, the shooter is unclear, concealed within the mist.

This theme of concealment runs throughout the episode; Durkin isn't afraid to hide action behind door frames, just out of shot and creates the sense that this isn't just a puzzle for the characters, but for the audience, piecing together the events leading up to the shooting. Many things remain hidden in Southcliffe; Stephen and Chris are both reluctant to confess the truth about their respective circumstances to those around him. Whilst Chris manages to keep whatever he is hiding from his girlfriend under wraps, Stephen becomes exposed quickly by Chris and a relative, resulting in a deeply uncomfortable scene that leads directly into the shooting itself.

The sound, or rather the lack of it, is used to particularly great effect. There is no score, only music used for a specific purpose in certain scenes such as the party for the returning soldiers or the outdoor gig later in the episode. Even then, the music feels jarring and intrusive, out of step with the nearly silent world that these characters inhabit. This is demonstrated most in the fast-paced folk music after the ritual humiliation of Stephen in the woods. The silence that punctuates the other scenes proves to be just as unsettling, building into the mounting sense of dread.

Grisoni's script has not attempted justify Stephen's actions, serving more to offer an explanation as to why he attacks the residents of the community. Since The Killing, crime dramas have become less focused on the crime itself and more upon the ripples that run through the community in which it occurs, most recently seen in Broadchurch and Top of the Lake. With Southcliffe, there are an intriguing array of characters we are yet to see. Some are glimpsed in this episode, Shirley Henderson in particular, and we spend a fair amount of time with Rory Kinnear's journalist, who will shortly find himself pulled back to his home town to provide a unique perspective on the coverage.

An impressive opening for Southcliffe; bleak yes, but underscored by an emotional current that, should it continue, will make for a very interesting series indeed. The next episode airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.

- Becky

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TV REVIEW: Dates - Week 3: Episodes 6 & 7

Moving on to Episodes 6 and 7 of Channel 4’s latest Brian Elsley creation, Dates, and we’re beginning to see some elements of character development and dramatic justice. This will presumably bring us rather nicely up to the final shows. I mean dates.

Episode 6 took us off once again for dinner with Erica (Gemma Chan).  This time, however, having admitted her sexuality to her brother, she has been packed off on a date with a man by the name of Callum (Greg McHugh). Loutish, arrogant, opinionated and seemingly not the sharpest knife in the cutlery drawer, their Chinese restaurant meeting gets off to a bad start. His constant referrals to the Chinese restaurant staff as ‘these people’ doesn’t exactly help matters, and that’s before you even consider the fact that Erica doesn’t actually fancy men. As we’ve by now come to expect from the series, though, a bad start to a date does not necessarily mean a bad end. And, sure enough, surprisingly understanding about Erica’s situation as he is, Callum teaches her how to stand up for herself a little more. Thus, as with Episode 5’s date with David and Ellie, an odd sort of friendship emerges.

Episode 7 was a little more unusual, not quite following the format of previous storylines. Stephen (Ben Chaplin) took centre stage once more, as he waited for Mia (Oona Chaplin) to join him at a swanky hotel penthouse for what the Buffery team can only assume to be a jolly good game of Scrabble. It soon becomes clear, however, that Mia has changed her mind, and won’t be turning up after all. This throws the slightly controlling Stephen off guard, causing him to gatecrash the hotel’s conference in search of ‘an adventure’. He finds precisely that adventure with an attractive stranger, getting up to all sorts of hijinks in an attempt to forget about the beautiful Mia. Smarmy and selfish character that he is, though, he doesn’t entirely get his own way. In fact, she gives him rather a run for his money.

These were two sharply contrasting episodes, with the first showing a stronger side to one recurring character, whilst the second showed the weaker, sleazier side of another. The developing friendship between the stereotypically meek Chinese girl and loud Scot in Episode 6 was heartwarming and touching to watch, as it was clear both were gaining genuine life lessons from the other’s company. Episode 7 mainly served to re-cast would be lothario Stephen in a less favourable light than before, perhaps giving us a useful insight into the reasons behind Mia’s decision.

Both episodes, however, reflected the fact that by now we’ve come to like the show’s recurring characters, and are emotionally invested in their stories and futures.

Tonight’s episode sees Jenny (Sheridan Smith) give dating one more try as she meets Christian (Andrew Scott). 

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dates

Jen                                                                     

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TV REVIEW: Dates - Week 2, Episodes 4 & 5

Dates, Brian Elsley’s drama series currently showing as part of Channel 4’s ‘Mating Season’, seems focused on portraying unusual, difficult and even borderline taboo first dates.

In Episode 4, we meet Erica (Gemma Chan), a shyly beautiful lesbian girl from a strict Chinese background, and watch as she meets Kate (Katie McGrath), a confident woman slightly more used to getting her own way. Despite Kate’s clear suspicion from the outset about how public Erica’s sexuality is, the date gets off to a good start, with the two flirting and drinking cocktails in a trendy bar. A spot of sexy dancing and a roll around in the sheets later, the narrative starts to focus much more on Erica, and the profound effect that her family background is having on her love life. Kate’s hostile reaction and the events that ensue provide one of the more dramatic, yet poignant, episode endings of the series so far. Chan and McGrath are both excellent and playing the coy and ballsy characters respectively, although the episode did feel a little thrown together and under-developed in places.

Episode 5 saw the return of David (Will Mellor) who, still not over Mia (Oona Chaplin) heads out on a date to cheer himself up on his birthday. This time, he meets Ellie (Montanna Thompson) a young, in fact rather younger than she said she was, woman who, despite her charming naiveté, has an apparent and uncomfortable habit of getting right to the point. Needless to say, the date is not all either of them hoped it would be, although David does seem to have a good time despite himself, leading to a level of friendship, if nothing else. Ellie’s insight then in turn causes some rather unexpected consequences. Mellor is awkwardly brilliant as the man caught on a date with someone more than a decade his junior, with Thompson adorably doe-eyed as the unemployed teenager with big ideas. This felt slightly akin to a filler episode, although still well executed and enjoyable to watch.

Despite the slight mid-season slump feel to these episodes, although I hasten to point out that this only means that they are marginally less fabulous than the others, so well written are they all, we’re really starting to grow attached to the characters as an audience, particularly now that we’ve grown used to the series’ premise. This is only added to along the way by the high quality of the writing and performances. Not to mention the relief at times that we’re not stuck on some of these awkward meetings ourselves.

Dates continues this evening with the return of Erica.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dates

Jen

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TV REVIEW: Dates - Week 1, Episodes 1-3

 Dates, the new drama series on Channel 4 which is essentially what it says on the tin, is a neat little concept. Created by Brian Elsley, the man behind E4 teen powerhouse Skins, the show consists of a series of two-handers, depicting the different ways people behave when on a first date.

The first episode, or ‘date’ of the week saw David (Will Mellor), a kind-hearted Northerner new to London and Mia (Oona Chaplin) a sophisticated woman about town, meet for an initially frosty dinner in what transpires to be David’s first venture in the world of internet dating. Far more of an old hand at it, Mia bluntly tells him how it is, growing rather fond of the Yorkshire-man in the process, despite herself. Through this, we also learn about different attitudes to dating and relationships on either side of the North-South divide, as David believes Southern women are a ‘nightmare’, never knowing what they want, and Mia just sees David as a naïve country bumpkin who hasn’t yet grasped the art of conversation.

Date two, was that of Jenny (Sheridan Smith) a sweet Shepherd’s Bush primary school teacher originally from Rotherham, and Nick (Neil Maskell), a ruthless city trader with more than a few secrets to hide. Bubbly Jenny is recovering from the breakdown of her engagement, whilst trying to settle in London at the same time, whilst Nick knows the city well, likes to throw his cash around and generally show-off. Having made ‘a few mistakes’ in his life, he is recently divorced. This sounded like a match made in Hell, and it largely was, although it was apparent that good-natured Jenny endeavoured to see the best in him, whilst Nick found her relatively pretty and adorable. Without spoiling it for anyone, however, the reasonably pleasant date takes an unexpected turn for the worse towards the end, and true colours are shown on both sides.

On the final date of the week we were once again with socialite Mia (Oona Chaplin), who this time has dinner with charming but jaded surgeon Stephen (Ben Chaplin*). He’s thinking of quitting the profession, and wants to charm the pants off a beautiful girl, quite literally, for a bit of a distraction from his ennui. It transpires, however, that Mia won’t be so easily manipulated- at least not until she’s had another couple of glasses of wine. We learn that she is an e-escort, and that Stephen once, er, used her services shall we say. This doesn’t exactly set things off on the right foot, but one this bombshell has been side-stepped, the two have a startling amount of chemistry on what becomes rather an unconventional date, and there is the suggestion that they might perhaps see each other again.

Each and every story so far has been compelling, engaging and written extremely competently. They’re paced rather unlike typical TV shows, with more of a slow, stagey feel to them. Which can only ever be a good thing in our world of fast edits and quick fix, adrenaline fuelled cuts. Each character is fully fleshed out by the actor in their shoes, with Will Mellor sweet as ever, and Stephen Chaplin sleazy and misunderstood in equal measure. It’s the girls, however, that have really shone so far. Oona Chaplin nails it as the sexy, all-knowing girl about town who, underneath all her sass and bravado, really just wants to be swept off her feet and fall in love. Sheridan Smith is equally perfect as primary school teacher Jenny, suitably awkward as well as totally adorable, despite some of her more unusual tendencies.

Next week sees a lesbian date, an appearance by the extraordinary talented Andrew Scott, and hopefully just more of the same. 

Jen

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