I thought I would start this year with a controversial review of Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events.
This is a Netflix Original series and is produced by the big name of the cast, Neil Patrick Harris.
If you don't know about this series yet, is based on the books of the same name and loosely from the Jim Carey film of the same name, although I expect they would credit themselves as their own entity in this collection. They are able to do more in the TV series than the film ever could due to the time constraints a film has.
As this is a Netflix offering it also can play with the run time of each episode. Most are about 45 minutes, however the second episode is 64 minutes. They can ignore the restrictions of normal network TV and if they have to "run over" they can. This is quite refreshing to see as they can follow how a network TV station would produce their shows but not limit the content to the same rules.
My wife has read the books and informs me that each two episodes are one of the books. There are 8 episodes so 4 of the 13 books have so far been produced. This I expect will be expanded over the next few years.
The first episode in the series is directed (and I am guessing has a showrunner type hand in the rest) by Barry Sonnenfeld. If you have seen Men in Black or Pushing Daisies (also by Barry Sonnenfeld) you can see his style heavily influence how this is produced.
It has a stellar cast and production team and this is why I a now differ from many of the other reviewers and articles I have read about the show. I can't find a flaw to the show, it is well acted and well produced, but I just don't get it. My wife loves it, I just found myself not interested. I watched all 8 episodes and if it had been many more than that I am not sure I would have carried on.
Now this is not a review of don't watch it as it is not terrible, in fact the complete opposite. It is the type of series that you need to make your own opinion on and develop your own views. You may love it, you may hate it but I think it's less like marmite with polar ends of the scale. It's perhaps more you will love it or, like me, just not get it. It's a kids story book, transferred to a TV Series suitable in the most part for children, but has an adult visual style to the final product.
My reasonings behind not liking it are most of the characters are terribly unlikeable (which I do understand is deliberate to the tone of the stories). The essentially formulaic way in which the story plays through and how stupid all the adults around the children are annoyed me. Again I understand it is a kids book, so empowers the children to the stupid adults, but it is not handled in such a way as to engage me as an adult viewer of the tales.
There are plenty of kids shows that I find excellent but I think because it feels like a TV show produced for adults that does not engage the adult as a viewer.
This might just be me, as I see so many great views and plaudits praised on the series creators. It is so far being loved by adults and children alike. Reviewers and audience, and I am pleased that Netflix keep producing interesting new series and genuinely original content (despite this being a remake of sorts, although arguing to that point is daft as it is more a reimagining of the source material).
Since finishing this series we have started Orphan Black on Netflix and this is a truly great piece of television that I will come to in later reviews after we have finished season 1. Until then I will say watch Lemony Snickets show as it is a masterful creation with a phenomenal crew working on it. Just be aware it may not engage you as you had first hoped as it does create a world that, for me at least, is hard to find interesting, relatable and most of all likeable.
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