Miniseries – Narrative Devices

An absolutely amazing series. I have enough respect for the film-makers to consider it part documentary, but it’s also funny, exciting and just damn good television. My only real issue with the series was that I had a hard job keeping track of characters, with a cast this vast, all wearing uniform and/or mud and a variety of names, ranks and nicknames it was pretty much impossible to keep track or people and relationships. Maybe it doesn’t matter, but it feels like a disservice to the real people and the amazing actors to not be able to remember who is who.

This series really is one of the best pieces of film making I’ve ever seen, it’s frequently very hard to watch, but it should almost be considered required viewing.

I’ve recently rediscovered BBC dramas, they seem to have picked up something from the US dramas, a sense of polish and and a look of expense. My memories of older bbc dramas are more centred around words like ‘gritty’ and ‘grim’. The State Within is a sort of cross between The West Wing and 24, a political conspiracy that is neither too idealistic, nor too silly. It was quite a fascinating story once I’d got my head around some of the different companies and agencies involved. I found it quite difficult to distinguish between the different male characters and their jobs making it extra difficult to get a grasp of the plot. It’s a very interesting project for the BBC, a very American feeling drama, set in america with British characters and a British attitude.

Narrative Devices

Category: Miniseries

Band of Brothers

The State Within