Fulvue Drive-In.com
Current Reviews
In Stores Soon
 
In Stores Now
 
DVD Reviews, SACD Reviews Essays Interviews Contact Us Meet the Staff
An Explanation of Our Rating System Search  
Category:    Home > Reviews > Crime > Comedy > Drama > Police > Detective > British TV > Murphy’s Law – Series One (2001 – 2003/Acorn Media DVD)

Murphy’s Law – Series One (2001 – 2003/Acorn Media DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Episodes: C+

 

 

Debuting as a telefilm in 2001, leading to a five-season (so far) series, Murphy’s Law epitomizes everything that has gone wrong with British TV, especially when it tries to be U.S. TV.  One, imitating the quick cutting does not work.  Two, shaky camerawork is bad.  Three, gutted color is bad.  Four, having a funny lead (James Nesbitt as Tom Murphy) only cuts down suspense and any sense of mystery.  Five, endless lists of pop culture references is not real writing or narrative.  Sixth and worst of all, imitating torture porn or the like and trying to bring it up to “respectability” never works.

 

This and much more can be found in the telefilm and across the three DVDs in this new set that includes all five hour-long shows from 2003.  Would the show get better?  No.  Is their money in the show?  Yes.  Does it help?  No.  If they did not have the proper accents, would this not be any other boring U.S. series?  Yes.  Can British TV be original again?  Not if it keeps producing formulaic bores like this.

 

Yes, it is professionally produced, but so what?  Nesbitt is not bad in the title role, but it never gets better or goes anywhere.  It is not smug per se, but creator Colin Bateman created the show especially for Nesbitt, but seems to have relied too much on his character and talent, but not enough on character development and as compared to Monk or House, M.D., it is not as strong an actor-driven show and those shows have better writing.

 

Unless you are a real fanatic for such shows, see it at your peril and know you have seen it all before.

 

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image has some motion blur and add the way the image is often manipulated and you get the idea of the limits.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is simple and good, but not great and can be slightly harsh at times.  The only extra is text on star Nesbitt.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


Marketplace


 
 Copyright © MMIII through MMX fulvuedrive-in.com