Sherlock: The most captivating British TV series

*SPOILER ALERT

sherlockWith the launch of its 3rd season on 1 January of 2014, British crime drama Sherlock was back with a bang. All the three 90 minutes long episodes of the franchise’s season 3 were admired and appreciated by the viewers and critics alike. Season 3 began with the story “the Empty Hearse’, which unraveled the suspense left in the end of season 2, where Sherlock Holmes had died. The 1st episode revealed the modus operandi that Sherlock had used to fake his death. The other two episodes of season 3 included ‘The Sign of Three and ‘His Last Vow’.

Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat came up with the first season in 2010 with a three episode series. In 2012, season 2 with three episodes aired. The makers, actors and directors struck a chord with the audience right from season 1 and fetched reviews like:

“A strange, fascinating, and sometimes brilliant contemporary take on the father of forensic crime-solving,” from Matthew Gilbert of Boston Globe.

Another one from the many was “Should you bookmark it now on your DVR? The answer, my dear reader and viewer, is elementary,” mentioned Matt Roush from TV Guide.

The launch of season 3 on PBS broke all the records when about 4 million viewers were glued to their couches on January 19th in the U.S. The last episode of the series took the number of viewers to a record high at 8.77 million, which was 32.1% of the total audience at 10pm time slot.

Detective Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) continue to stay at 221B Baker Street and both the flatmates keep the humor and chemistry alive. Sherlock is a uniquely 21st century show with extensive usage of latest technology, like smartphones.

Like earlier two seasons, the third one is a contemporary adaptation of Canon’s work and knitted in a cohesive and smooth manner. The extraordinary direction and captivating performances of the actors continue to impress the audiences.

Recently Sherlock’s co-creator Steven Moffat disclosed that the show might not resume until the timing is right. It might take another two years or longer for the next season to resume – disappointing news for the fans across the globe.

 

Sources:

http://mcmurdoscamp.wordpress.com/cultural-items-2/review-bbcs-new-sherlock/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(TV_series)

http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2014/01/08/a-satisfying-sherlock-launches-season-3/17340/

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/sherlock/s01/

http://www.deadline.com/2014/01/tca-sherlock-move-pays-ratings-dividends-to-pbs-4-million-tune-in/

 

~ by Deepika Sharma Grover

 

Kevin Hart: The Hart of Comedy

photo credit: blackfilm.com
image source: blackfilm.com

Since grossing over $15 million from 2011‘s Laugh At My Pain, one of the year’s top-selling comedy tours, the Philadelphia born Kevin Hart has became a household name.

Hart began his career with a stint of unsuccessful shows in Philadelphia before traveling and entering comedy competitions throughout Massachusetts, eventually winning several amateur comedy competitions at clubs throughout New England. His first real break came in 2000 when he was cast by Judd Apatow for a recurring role on the TV series Undeclared.

Although Undeclared lasted only one season, Kevin D. Hart soon landed other roles in movies like 2003’s Scary Movie 3, 2004’s Soul Plane, and 2010’s Little Fockers. His comedic reputation continued to grow with the release of his first stand-up album 2008’s I’m a Grown Little Man, and with critically acclaimed performances in 2012’s Think Like a Man, Ride Along, and most recently, About Last Night released February 2014. He now stars as himself in the lead role on the hit BET reality spoof series. Real Husbands of Hollywood.

Citing legendary Bill Cosby, Chris Tucker, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, and Dave Chappelle as his biggest influences, Hart found his own rhythm by delving into his insecurities and life experiences.

On February 22, at the 2014 NAACP Image Awards, held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif., Hart was one of the night’s big winners. The 34-year-old funnyman took home both the Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series and Entertainer of the Year awards for Real Husbands of Hollywood.

 

~ by Ashly Smith

 

News Anchor Sam Rubin mistakes Samuel Jackson for Laurence Fishburne

laurence fishburne samuel jackson
Laurence Fishburne | Samuel Jackson

A recent incident occurred on February 10, during a morning show on KTLA news channel, which led to a long discussion on social networks and raised many eyebrows. With many Emmy awards in the bag, news anchor Sam Rubin was talking to ‘Robocop’ actor Samuel L. Jackson about his new release. But it came as a shock to Jackson when the news anchor mistook him for being Laurence Fishburne and asked “Did you get a lot of reaction from that Super Bowl commercial?”

Incidentally, Super Bowl Commercial features Laurence Fishburne and not Samuel Jackson.

Samuel L. Jackson did not waste a second in giving some hard time to Sam Rubin for his mistake and went on to say, “We may be all black and famous, but we all don’t look alike. You’re busted.”

Although, the anchor did apologize immediately and soon after the show was over, the episode did compel many to ponder whether it was just a matter of confusion or it was yet another incidence of racial discrimination, still prevalent in the country.

Samuel L. Jackson made it very apparent from his comments that it was not acceptable. He further added, “Do some research. Make sure you don’t confuse them with the other white actors that are out there.”

There are enough reasons to back the fact that there are no similarities between the two actors, apart from their skin color. They differ in age, in experience, in work and in physical appearances, too.

Incidents like these (over and again) reinforce the racial differences, as black actors are often mistaken to be someone else, even if they are immensely popular the world over.

What are your thoughts?

 

Sources:

  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2531512/Outrage-MSNBC-panelists-make-Mitt-Romneys-adopted-black-grandchild-punchline-joke.html
  •  http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/02/10/samuel-l-jackson-laurence-fishburne/
  • http://www.ibtimes.com/samuel-l-jackson-slams-news-anchor-sam-rubin-after-being-mistaken-laurence-fishburne-video-1554535
  • http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ktla-anchor-apologizes-mistaking-samuel-679048

 

~ by Deepika Sharma Grover