If a fella were to throw the subject of American soap-opera into a conversation, perhaps somewhere between a discussion about Pygmalion and some musings on stem cell research, that self same fella would probably note that a lot of folks immediately start yacking about Dynasty, or Dallas.
These right here, these fondly remembered nuggets of glossy, nonsensical toss, these are the touchstones for an outsiders concept of American Soap-Opera.
A recent televisual program, however, has caused The Duke to ponder, sometimes stroking my chin and squinting slightly;
How much better would those shows have been if, say, Jerry Ewing took a second for to cut his foreskin off with a pair of scissors? What if we had a lengthy sequence wherein J.R sucks the gunk out of a ladies guts for to make her thinner?
Thank fuck and all what that entails, then, since a show has gone ahead and done just this, except with new characters, one of whom looks a lot like Jack, the gay fella from The Dawson Creek or whatever, and another who looks kinda like the dad from Happiness what turned out to be a damn kiddie-fiddler. As the twist or whatever, the former fella don't wax philosophical and then everyone complains cause fuck, man, teenagers don't talk like that. I heard those Kris Kross fellas, and I gotta be honest, I doubt they know a damn thing about Felini.
Just my motherfucking opinion, is all.
The show in question might like to entertain notions of being some kind of challenging adult drama, but truth be told, it ain't nothing but a melodramatic, glossy, and, it must be noted, exceptionally brilliant soap opera.
Nip / Tuck has been entertaining folks for a couple years now, but on account of The Duke don't own no Sky television, I had to wait for Channel 4 in the United UK to pick it up, that I might sample its wares.
I watched the first episode a couple nights back, and then something happened and I got to see the following two instalments.
In case you were thinking that The Duke might have downloaded episodes 2 and 3 from off of some satanic web-net site hidden from google and from right-thinking society in general, then you'd be wrong, since it was in fact something involving Aliens and so on.
Article comments
1 - Padhraic
Try "The Wire", Also a tad addicting.
2 - Jim Carruthers
I haven't seen Nip/Tuck, but I do recommend a series on FX, "Rescue Me", which is written, produced and stars Denis Leary as a NYC fire fighter. It is profanely funny, and while it does get a bit speechy, so far, four eps is fairly consistent, and manages to manage the mawkishness. Leary has conversations with dead people, including his cousin who died at the WTC, ala Six Feet Under, and since it is from a cable net, they can use real language and stuph.
I also second "The Wire" which is brilliant, but hard to describe (cops in Baltimore are trying to convict a drug dealer using wiretaps, but that just doesn't do it justice)
Also recommended on DVD is "Oz" which is about a buncha fellas in prison (and Mrs. Soprano, too).
3 - Douglas Mays
Nip/Tuck is an awesome show!!!! Intense, humorous, dramatic. Say the episode having to remove heroin from breast implants of a 'mule' at gun point of the movers, in the operating room! etc......
I can't miss it. Wife and I are addicted.
peaceloveguidance
4 - Douglas Mays
OH MAN!!!! Did anyone see tonight's season ending episode (10/5/04)???? Intense. Tonights show lended itself great craft in the art of television. I am blown away. If you have been following the show enuf to know what is going on, you'll be amazed....
peaceloveguidance