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my picks of 2006
Jan. 3rd, 2007 03:13 pmA few days late, but here's some of my highlights from the world of media.
First off, the world of TV.
The new show of the year is far and away "Heroes" (starting soon on Channel 7 in Australia). The premise sounds a bit X-Men-ish. People all over the world start discovering they have superpowers. But it's anything but - it's great writing, sensational characters and a plot that twists and turns and spins and spirals. Almost every episode ends with a cliffhanger that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next show. There are many moments in the show that have left me open-mouthed with delight - it is that damn fine. A quick note that this really isn't a superhero show to show the small kiddies - drug use, violent death and quite a lot of other things that the Justice League cartoons didn't cover on Saturday mornings.
A second place is probably to Showtime's new show "Dexter". Michael Hall (who played the uptight gay brother David on Six Feet Under) plays a serial killer. One with a difference - he works as a police forensics expert during the day, and hunts and kills other killers at night. He knows exactly what he is - a monster - and this is the way he channels this into something better. It's not for everyone - it's uncomfortable, in places quite gory, and extremely disturbing. But it's good - and Hall in the title role is just stunning.
Other highlights for the year include 30 Rock (mostly for Alec Baldwin - a complete comedy genius, who knew?)
Older shows that I finally watched and got hooked by include The Wire and Stephen Fry's QI. Much of QI is on youtube, and is worth checking out.
And of course The Daily Show continues to produce some of the finest satire on TV. Their episode the Monday morning after Dick Cheney shot his 78 year old friend in the face when hunting "pen-raised wingless quailtards" is some of the funniest stuff you will ever, ever see. I find the spinoff The Colbert Report patchier, but only by comparision to TDS - when Colbert hits the mark, it's brilliant and savage.
Books.
This year I've really found myself drawn back to non-fiction for some reason. There's been many a good book out this year, particularly in the area of politics. Thomas Ricks' "Fiasco" is the best book so far on what the fuck happened in Iraq these last few years. Ron Suskind and Seymour Hersh also produced excellent work this year in the same area.
The most disturbing book I've read (well, am still reading) this year is Dominic Streathfield's "Brainwash: A Secret History of Mind Control". The same author penned a magnificent book a few years ago titled "Cocaine", which should be on everyone's reading list. This new one is compelling, but at the same time leaves me feeling quite unwell at times. Some of the things that have been done in the last 50 years or so are so completely messed up - and in some cases, it was just someone curious about "what happens when we try this?"
As far as fiction, the end of the year I received the first book of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Miss S. discovered that I hadn't read it and insisted on buying the first book in the series for me, immediately. It's terrific stuff. I'm a little wary of fantasy these days - too much of it is just rubbish. This is anything but. It's well written, features an interesting world and damn, damn, I want to know how it ends. Fortunately all 3 books are out - I just need to visit a bookshop to grab book number 3.
First off, the world of TV.
The new show of the year is far and away "Heroes" (starting soon on Channel 7 in Australia). The premise sounds a bit X-Men-ish. People all over the world start discovering they have superpowers. But it's anything but - it's great writing, sensational characters and a plot that twists and turns and spins and spirals. Almost every episode ends with a cliffhanger that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next show. There are many moments in the show that have left me open-mouthed with delight - it is that damn fine. A quick note that this really isn't a superhero show to show the small kiddies - drug use, violent death and quite a lot of other things that the Justice League cartoons didn't cover on Saturday mornings.
A second place is probably to Showtime's new show "Dexter". Michael Hall (who played the uptight gay brother David on Six Feet Under) plays a serial killer. One with a difference - he works as a police forensics expert during the day, and hunts and kills other killers at night. He knows exactly what he is - a monster - and this is the way he channels this into something better. It's not for everyone - it's uncomfortable, in places quite gory, and extremely disturbing. But it's good - and Hall in the title role is just stunning.
Other highlights for the year include 30 Rock (mostly for Alec Baldwin - a complete comedy genius, who knew?)
Older shows that I finally watched and got hooked by include The Wire and Stephen Fry's QI. Much of QI is on youtube, and is worth checking out.
And of course The Daily Show continues to produce some of the finest satire on TV. Their episode the Monday morning after Dick Cheney shot his 78 year old friend in the face when hunting "pen-raised wingless quailtards" is some of the funniest stuff you will ever, ever see. I find the spinoff The Colbert Report patchier, but only by comparision to TDS - when Colbert hits the mark, it's brilliant and savage.
Books.
This year I've really found myself drawn back to non-fiction for some reason. There's been many a good book out this year, particularly in the area of politics. Thomas Ricks' "Fiasco" is the best book so far on what the fuck happened in Iraq these last few years. Ron Suskind and Seymour Hersh also produced excellent work this year in the same area.
The most disturbing book I've read (well, am still reading) this year is Dominic Streathfield's "Brainwash: A Secret History of Mind Control". The same author penned a magnificent book a few years ago titled "Cocaine", which should be on everyone's reading list. This new one is compelling, but at the same time leaves me feeling quite unwell at times. Some of the things that have been done in the last 50 years or so are so completely messed up - and in some cases, it was just someone curious about "what happens when we try this?"
As far as fiction, the end of the year I received the first book of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Miss S. discovered that I hadn't read it and insisted on buying the first book in the series for me, immediately. It's terrific stuff. I'm a little wary of fantasy these days - too much of it is just rubbish. This is anything but. It's well written, features an interesting world and damn, damn, I want to know how it ends. Fortunately all 3 books are out - I just need to visit a bookshop to grab book number 3.
