The Shield and Six Feet Under are getting strong recommendations here so I could be tempted into a Christmas purchase. Those who've seen both, which would you say was best?
As for Breaking Bad, you've really GOT to see this. Google it and see the number of awards it's won and the recommendations it's got. I don't know if it was ever shown on British TV and if it was, it couldn't have been on at a convenient time but it's just compulsive viewing.
There's no major stars in it and apparently the producer pushed hard to get two-time Emmy award winner Bryan Canston the main role. He was the dad in Malcolm in the Middle for those who are familiar with that one. He plays a mild-mannered chemistry teacher who, despite never smoking, is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. His wife is heavily pregnant with a daughter and they have a disabled teenage son. His fears centre around the sheer expense that the treatment will cost which will wipe out his family's finances and he'll be dead anyway. As a treat, his Brother-in-Law asks him to ride along on a drug-bust he leads as a head honcho DEA. As they force their way into the crack-den, our central character, Walt, who stays in the van, sees a criminal escape through an upstairs window unseen by the cops. Their eyes meet and Walt recognises him as a former student in his Chemistry class. From this inauspicious meeting, things really get going. Walt propositions the renegade druggy waster that if he as Chemistry teacher can make a superior brand of MethAmphetamine, the young man can be its distributor and find markets for it. Sounds unpromising but believe me, it's GREAT.
They buy a cheapo mobile home and from the lovely city of Alberquerque, drive into ever more remote deserts of New Mexico to manufacture big quantities of the drug. This is purely to finance Walt's horrendously expensive cancer treatments so as to leave his family some money. To shield his family from his nefarious activities, he's having to create ever more elaborate excuses as to why he needs to leave for longer and longer periods.
The scenery is wonderful and the characters are magnificent. It's like the best TV in that it's a slow burner that exerts a grip on you that won't let go. We finished the last episode of Series 2 last night and will start Series 3 after Uno (you do call University Challenge Uno, don't you?) tonight.
in parts.
