TOP BOY (2011 – 2013)

Creator: Ronan Bennett

Cast: Ashley Walters, Kane Robinson, Shone Romulus

A thriving but underground drugs business is being run by Dushane (‘Ashley Walters’) and his friend Sully (Kane Robinson) to become the richest men on the block.

Here is a cool totally great 2 parts series of 4 episodes. What I like about it is fast paced and has a bit a realism into it. It is about a local gang to want to get rich, they want to move up the latter as fast as they can and in the drug business you either die young if you are no careful enough, or if you careful enough you can retire rich. But the thing is here and the real world being a drug dealer has a short life to begin with.

A good kid (aka a top boy) who stays out of trouble but whose kindly actions result in criminality, a local gangster who hopes to become a top crime-lord but who must reconcile personal ethics, friendship and morality with a violent career path, a reformed criminal whose ethical behaviour gets him killed etc. Dushane here is this bottom drug dealer who manges his gang but wants to get into the big leagues. He want to get rich. Top boy here has his mother in the hospital for depression and he leaves now on his own. A friends who works at the hospital makes sure he is ok. Top boy here has been friend with this young lady who is trying to make money by growing cannabis so she can buy the flat. All those characters are going to cross each other. It is a cut throat business as we know it. A cool series that won’t dissapoint you.

BUREAU DES LEGENDES (2015 – ) SEASON 2

Creator: Eric Rochant

Cast: Mathieu Kassovitz, Sara Giraudeau, Jean-Pierre Darroussin

Four months have passed within the DGSE. Guillaume Debailly (alias Malotru), promoted to deputy director of the Bureau des Légendes, became a double agent on behalf of the CIA. Under cover of psychoanalysis sessions, he delivers to the doctor, his contact agent at the CIA, the information he gathered weekly. In exchange, Malotru expects the Americans to release the woman he loves, Nadia, imprisoned by the Syrians somewhere in the world. On the other hand, as Loiseau starts her delicate and dangerous underground mission in Iran, the DGSE is confronted with a new crisis: a jihad, now an officer of Daech, publicly harasses France in a bloodthirsty way.

The first season of the Bureau des Légendes had seduced us last year by its authenticity, its realism and the inclination of Eric Rochant to continue to dig further into the  universe of espionage and intelligence that ” He has known so well since his films Les Patriotes and Möbius. The first season however took place in Paris When Malotru comes back in Paris. Eric introduce us with the characters and such. The stories are purely fictional but of what is going on today. The second season however is that the agents on the field. Nadia who trained to be an agent is going to be in Iran to work in a company well that is her cover. The talented Sara Giraudeau assumes the role beautifully well here as wells the other actors Camille de Castelnau, Cécile Ducrocq, Hippolyte Girardot, Raphael Chevènement, Antonin Martin. The narrative intersect with intelligence, participating in the immersion in this new season which is proving exciting. These new episodes embrace, moreover, the actuality with a realism that will put a chill thought your back, taking as background the narratives evoking both the Syrian conflict and the Islamic radicalism. Mathieu Kassovitz and Jean-Pierre Darroussin recover their characters with greediness and engage in this duel of cat and the mouse game, the two actors seeming to savour their acting by bringing more nuances to  their characters that one might have thought immovable. Over all a terrific second season that went up a notch big time and yes there is a season 3. Season 3 will be the final chapter like a trilogies than Rochant I think is going to put new character for season 4 that will start a new chapter.

WONDER WOMAN (1975 – 1979)

Creators:: William Moulton Marston, Stanley Ralph Ross

Cast: Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner, Tom Kratochvil

Assuming the secret identity of Yeoman Diana Prince (Carter), works for Major Steve Trevor (Waggoner) in Army Intelligence. But when trouble threatens, she goes into action with her great strength, bulletproof bracelets, and her magic lasso of truth. So spies, saboteurs, and schemers beware, because Wonder Woman is here.

I remember this series back in the days, I was in this family where this boy about 10 years old used to watch it religiously every week even the reruns. He could get enough of it. He might have a crush for Lynda Carter. Watching the show is I noticed the preponderance of female villains Wonder Woman battles, from the spy mistress Baroness Von Gunther to Fausta, the Nazi Wonder Woman, to the trainer of that Nazi gorilla. You even get Wonder Girl, Wonder Woman’s kid sister, played by Debra Winger. The show was female dominated here and for cause, nothing wrong with that it is a nice pace a change. Lynda Carter was doing her own stunts what they allow her to do, she also, has a double for the one that was more complicated and dangerous. Linda fits the role beautifully well. It is a fun series to watch, it brings back memories.

BATMAN (1966 – 1968)

Creator: Lorenzo Semple Jr., William Dozier

Cast: Adam West, Burt Ward, Alan Napier

The fans of Batman are in mourning: the unforgettable Adam West, interpreter of the hero in the series cult and kitsch “Batman” of the Sixties and film “Batman” died this june 9th of leukemia. He was 88 years old. RIP Adam.

During three TV seasons, broadcast between 1966 and 1968 on the ABC channel and a movie at the cinema, the American actor incarnated his hero which the series became cult. In 2016, Adam West had agreed to resume his role for an episode for the series Big Bang Theory which celebrated its 200th episode. Most recently, the actor had lent his voice to the pilot of the Powerless series. Throughout his career, West had repeatedly taken over his Batman character, notably for Batman or Tarzan animated series, or the return of the Caped Crusaders, released last year. Of course he has done other roles in movies.

When I first came to the US in the 70’s a teenager that I knew was watching this all the time. He so loved this series. I did do. Back then ti was the coolest thing. The series now is remastered on Blue ray DVD which I am going to get. The duo had chemistry on-screen. In different episode you will see the Joker (Cesar Romero), the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), and the seductive Catwoman (Julie Newmar). The series became a success and very quickly became cult. Terrific series here to be seen over and over. Thank you for entertain us all those years Adam.

NON UCCIDERE (2015 – )

Creator: Claudio Corbucci

Cast: Miriam Leone, Matteo Martari, Thomas Trabacchi

Inspector Valeria Ferro ( Miriam Leone) works at the PJ in Turin. stubborn , beautiful and tough, she is assisted by Andrea Russo (Matteo Martari), veteran Gerardo Mattei and new recruit Luca Rinaldi (Luca Terracciano) under the direction of Giorgio Lombardi ( Thomas Trabacchi). As her investigations progress, we also discover the difficult past of the investigator.

The series is also known under the name of Squadra Criminale. It is a terrific Italian series where Valeria Ferro is this tough detective who wants to solve the case as family as possible even check out all the possibilities before closing the case but every time she does an investigation her boss tells her to close it quickly or go easy on the victim they are not suspect. Her partner in crime issuing with the flow, he knows that he is the second wheel on this, he tend to follow her league but sometimes enough is enough and her boss has the final say. As the series goes along you discover that her mother is in jail. As the story goes along you discover more about her and the difficult relationship that she has with her mother. Overall it is a terrific series.

EYEWITNESS (2014)

Creators: Jarl Emsell Larsen

Cast: Axel Bøyum, Odin Waage, Anneke von der Lippe

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy took the publishing industry by storm and everything since then  the Nordic noir is in business. Eyewitness is something slightly different, merging crime thriller and family drama.

When Philip (Axel Bøyum) and Henning (Odin Waage) witness a multiple-murder they stay quiet, fearing for their lives, normal reaction for teenagers. Philip has his foster-mother who is  the officer leading the investigation, Helen Sikkeland (Anneke von der Lippe). When the SRO are drafted in to deal with a drugs war involving The Sixers and a biker band called The Ferrymen, Sikkeland begins to see connections. However, without evidence and the gun that they can’t find she is at a halt and struggle to make progress.

Here is a terrific Nordic Noir as I love them with some terrific actors and story telling. Henning, an alpha male motocross champion, seems more terrified by his family to discover who he is really. In keeping quiet Philip to protects him  but messes up  his already complicated relationship with his foster family. Thank god for trying to avoid the clichés. The performances of the actors are strong with some great sensitive writing to go with it. The Norwegian / Swedish nine series has 6 episodes that are dark and tense.

 

ZONE BLANCHE (2017 – )

Creators: Mathieu Missoffe

Cast: Suliane Brahim, Hubert Delattre, Laurent Capelluto

Villefranche is a small isolated town in the heart of a gigantic forest, a green labyrinth of thousands of hectares making any telecommunication hazardous. This place is not quite like the others has its unmapped areas, its crimes, its disappearances and other mysteries to be elucidated and a rate of homicide six times higher than the national average … but apart from it all everything is fine. , The city can count on its sheriff, Major Laurène Weiss (Suliane Brahim), a girl of the strong country in mouth and strangely connected to Nature. As she continues to investigate, she sinks farther and farther into the forest she discover secrets even some from her own adduction 20 years ago.

Viilefranche is a fictional town somewhere in Belgium. It has 8 episodes and it is a French Belgian series. The filming took places in between the Voges and Belgium. So you can feel the fog, the nature and the thousand of ares of forest, it is a perfect setting for this kind of series. It is dark, intriguing and mysterious and when you watch it the story will have some twist and turns that you won’t expect. Well casted and written which I can’t wait for season 2 to come out. I just finished watching the last episodes this week and what great ending which you are going to want more. Do not miss this one.