I am really fond of TV series, specially American ones, and I´m sure most of you have heard of or watched productions such as The Sopranos, The Wire, The Big Band Theory, MadMen, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, Six Feet Under, The Walking Dead… I must confess that I have seen some of them in the dubbed version instead of the original one. Nevertheless, I try to keep watching at least one English speaking series on a regular basis. As you may have noticed about the titles above, I do not concentrate on a particular theme, as I usually take advantage of viewing a chapter to escape from the daily routine, forget about the issues I´ve been working on all day long and relax while travelling to a completely different world.
Having said this, as far as watching TV series is concerned, it is variety (hence the title of this entry) that helps you find the adequate series for each moment. Now, the real reason why I’m writing for the blog is that I’ve recently come across two amazing British series that I feel I should recommend you. I’ve watched the first season of both of them in original version and they are entirely different from each other. They have nothing in common but the fact that they are both set in England; they are called Downton Abbey and Misfits.
Downton Abbey is set in the years prior to First World War and is about a well-off family and their servants. It perfectly reflects what life at the beginning of the 20th century was like. The plot can be divided into two parts which are necessarily interconnected: The vicissitudes of an upper class family who needs to find an heir to their fortune (at that time girls could not inherit) and the daily routine of their servants, who fight to increase their power at the house and improve their future. The wardrobe, the setting, the atmosphere, as well as the language are all magnificent. It follows the style of Jane Austin’s novels or the film Gosford Park.
Misfits takes place nowadays and the main characters are five outsiders who are struck by lighting during a thunder storm while they were doing their community service. After being thunderstruck they suddenly gain special powers such as reading people’s thoughts, becoming invisible, turning back time or looking younger. Mind you, this is not the typical superheroes’ series, but it deals with the troubles of five young delinquents who are not such “bad boys” though of course none of them is a saint either. Apart from the plot, I find it really interesting because of the language itself. The characters’ accents are not “the Queen’s English”, and they use a wealth of slang words. However, it is not that difficult to understand them and a great opportunity to get used to a wide variety of accents. Click on this link (unfortunately the clip cannot be embedded) to see the series promo on E4, a digital pay-TV channel in the UK.
Hi, Raquel!
ReplyDeleteI can't agree more with you about the quality of the TV series you've already mentioned as I love them (all). Moreover, you're absolutely right about the posibility that TV series provide us a way to escape to a completely different worlds.
With regard to the TV series you've wrote about, I've thoroughly enjoyed the trailer of Downton Abbey not just because of the lavish atmosphere or the intriguing plot but also because of the soundtrack, which I've found higly surprising. You know, from my point of view, using "Every breath you take" in a "choir style" bring a sort of modernity to the plot as I think that The Police's lyric fits like a glove. This kind of things make me always think that no matter the place or the time, all the stories are always revolving around the same stuff: love, death, power, money... So, what can I say, thank you for your great review, I'll give it try! Won't you?
- María -