Yvonne, Managing Director, is enjoying a series that is both informative and entertaining - a winning combo...
“The series I’ve been enjoying this week is Fauda (Netflix), which is a series that offers an insight into both sides of the Israeli - Palestine conflict. It’s not a subject I knew much about, but it’s informative and high energy. It has you sitting on the edge of your seat and although it’s predominantly an action-based drama, it’s emotive too. The characters are all well drawn and there isn’t a bad actor among them.”
First broadcast in Israel in 2015, the show gained international acclaim when it made its Netflix debut a year later. The word Fauda means ‘chaos’ in Arabic.
Gaynor, Creative Director, has been enjoying some exciting thrillers and shares some of her top picks for the genre. “After finishing the captivating deep fake series, The Capture (BBC), and patiently waiting for Holliday Granger’s Rachel Carey to return for series 3."
"I’ve also been catching up on other thrillers as I’m always delighted when a new one pops up on my planner and so the most recent evening’s viewings have been taken upwith Before We Die (Channel 4) starring Leslie Sharpe, Vincent Reagan and Patrick Gibson - it’s a tense, twisted thriller that pulls some great punches. I particularly like the mirroring of the two mothers both on either side of the law and taking it into their own hands - fighting for their offending sons and justifying their actions even when they’re hard to excuse.”
Before We Die is based on an original Swedish series called Innan vi dör.
Rosie, Business Manager, is enjoying some shows so much that she just can’t wait for the next series to come out.
“I can’t stop thinking about The Bear (Disney+). It’s genuinely the best thing I’ve watched for a long time. And for the record I watched it before it was The Guardian’s top TV show of 2022. Working in TV, when you watch something you can often feel the script in the dialogue, but The Bear was completely seamless. Every word of dialogue was 100% real and the characters were perfectly nuanced and believable. At the heart it’s a really simple story, but the writing, acting, cinematography and sound just drew me in and I was on a journey with every character from beginning to end. I can’t wait for series 2 to be back in the world.”
“Minx (Paramount+) was the first thing I watched when I recently signed up to the streaming service. I hadn’t heard much about it, but absolutely devoured it. It’s set in the 1970s but feels completely contemporary and is a unique story that I’ve not seen on TV before. Ophelia Lovibond is brilliant as wannabe magazine editor Joyce, the soundtrack is excellent, and there happens to be a lot of naked men. If that’s your thing…”
Actor Jeremy Allen White has won a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award and a Critics’ Choice Award for his role as lead character Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto.
Jade, Development Executive, was very pleased with the long-awaited third instalment of this hit series. “Ever since series two of Happy Valley (BBC) ended with Catherine Cawood questioning the fate of Ryan’s future and whether or not he would have inherited any of Tommy Lee Royce’s psychopathic tendencies, I have waited, with bated breath, for seven years for the answer to that question. Not only have I been able to enjoy watching the North on screen; having spotted various places where I’ve nipped in to buy a sandwich and a packet of crisps on the go..."
"But series three has been as captivating, tense and suspenseful as the two proceeding. Catherine’s no-nonsense, yet tender attitude, along with her funny quips, and sarcastic remarks is the best three-dimensional female heroine I’ve seen in a while and Wainwright portrays the complexities and nuances of relatable human relationships with incredible believability and ease. I didn’t want it to end.”
Happy Valley was written specifically for Sarah Lancashire, who previously had a starring role in Sally Wainwright's Last Tango in Halifax (2012). Wainwright was so impressed by Lancashire's performance, she devised Happy Valley as a solo vehicle for Lancashire.
Anna, Development Executive, has been enjoying the best of both worlds dividing her time between a recent hit series and a classic sitcom…
“I’ve not seen anything like Severance (Apple)! The visual element alone in this show was not only really engaging but very surprising - it felt very cinematic. Severance was a really interesting angle to explore differing opinions on obtaining a work-life balance. The sci-fi element of the show is very grounded - I even hesitate to call it ‘sci-fi’ - but plays a crucial role when distancing itself from a very real relatable issue of setting boundaries between work and personal lives. There are some brilliant comedic moments in this gripping drama - a drama I would highly recommend.”
“Seinfeld (Netflix) is old but gold. Anything Julia Louis-Dreyfus touches I am watching. Despite first airing in the 1980s, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character Elaine is still really refreshing and modern - one of my all-time favourite characters. A definite comfort show if anyone is looking for one!”
Jerry Seinfeld turned down an offer from NBC to make a tenth season of the hit show that would have netted him an additional $110 million.
Elliot, Development Assistant, has been watching one of 2023’s most talked about shows to see what all the fuss is about. “The love story in episode 3 of The Last of Us (HBO / Now TV) evokes a level of romance and emotion that I would never have expected from a standard post-apocalyptic “zombie” series - it brought me to tears! This series is in no way confined by the constraints typically associated with its genre.”
That’s enough TV to last a year – or maybe just a weekend if you’re a seriously dedicated binge-watcher. Stay tuned for future updates on what we’re watching at Rollem!
The Last of Us is a series based on a popular video game of the same name first released in 2013, which has won over 200 Game of the Year awards, making it one of the most acclaimed and successful games of all time. The show marks the first HBO series to be based on a video game.
