Tweekums

This Australian miniseries is centred on the Goddard family. As it opens archive footage shows discussions about whether Australia should get involved in the fight against Communists in South Vietnam; a conflict that will have profound effects on Australia and the Goddard family in particular. Father Douglas works in the Prime Minister's office and is convinced the war is necessary but wishes son Phil would enrol at university and thus avoid the possibility of being conscripted... but he doesn't and ends up serving in the war. Daughter Megan gradually gets involved in the anti-war movement and mother Evelyn is caught in the middle.

I first watched this when it aired on British television and bought the VHS box set when it was released. I just watched it again for the first time in many years. It is still as gripping as it was originally. Even the slight graininess of the thirty year old VHS added a documentary feel to aspects of the show. By centring on one family, and certain people close to them, we see the effect on the country at large. Division by those who believe the war is necessary and those who are appalled by it and those sent to fight. The scenes in Vietnam are gripping, with action scenes that wouldn't be out of place in a film. The family drama is also depicted well. The cast does a fine job; most obviously Barry Otto as Douglas, Nicholas Eadie as Phil, and Nicole Kidman, in an early role, as Megan. As seems de rigour for anything to do with the Vietnam War we get plenty of great sixties music to accompany the drama. Overall I'd definitely recommend watching this if you are interested in the Vietnam War.

These comments are based on watching the six hour long 1992 UK VHS version. I can't comment on what was edited out or how it affected the overall series.

As this Irish drama opens we see a man strutting down the street in a town in Co. Donegal, then he is bundled into an alley, beaten and robbed. We then follow his assailant who turns out to be Sergeant Conall Ó Súilleabháin, a member of the Garda! Not long into the opening episode a body is discovered in the bog outside town; it turns out it is Conall's mother who went missing fifteen years previously. He is ordered away from the case as outside officers take charge, however junior colleague Barry keeps him in the loop. Also investigating is journalist Ciara-Kate, who is running a podcast on the case. This being a small town just about everybody who was there fifteen years ago is suspect; this includes Conall and his father, a former businessman.

I was drawn to this as I'd not seen a Gaelic series before. I'm glad I did watch it as the story is solid, in a typical murder-mystery way. The characters are a good mix, obvious suspects quickly emerge. The more we learn the more secrets are revealed, these may only be tangentially connected to the murder but will have a profound effect on those involved. They aren't all particularly likeable but that isn't a problem. The setting is impressive with plenty of scenes set in the ruggedly beautiful Donegal countryside. The dark tone means there aren't too many laughs to be had although I must admit chuckling at the accidental humour of referring to the victim 'dying on the bog'... I'm guessing 'bog' isn't slang for 'lavatory' in Gaelic! Overall I'd say this is worth watching if you like a murder mystery and are looking for something set somewhere different.

These comments are based on watching the series in Irish Gaelic with English subtitles.

This drama series, set in seventeenth century Japan opens aboard a Dutch ship, the Erasmus, which is hoping to get to Japan to break the Portuguese trade monopoly. By the time they get there they are on the verge of starvation. On arrival they are taken prisoner. The ship's pilot, Englishman John Blackthorne, is separated from the men and events lead to him working for local lord Toranaga. Tensions are high since the death of the previous ruler five regents have held power; Toranaga, one of their number, is facing impeachment and death. He sees Blackthorne and Erasmus's weapons as a means of turning the situation around. This causes disquiet among those who see Blackthorne as a 'barbarian'; something that only increases as he grows closer to Lady Toda Mariko, the married woman acting as translator.

This may be an American series, filmed mostly in Canada, but one could be forgiven for thinking it was Japanese. Most of the cast is Japanese and most of the dialogue is in subtitled Japanese. Don't let that put you off though; this is definitely a series to watch. The story is epic in scale, the characters are great and there is good amount of action. The way the events are shot looks great, costumes and scenery are stunning and the high quality acting makes everything feel very real. Blackthorne is a fine central character who serves to emphasise the cultural differences between Japan and Europe, however it is the Japanese characters who stand out most. The cast really impresses as they bring their characters to life. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anybody wanting a good drama; I'm certainly looking forward to the next season.