Wired
Synopsis (from Acorn Media):
Offering a taste of the darker side of high finance, the critically-acclaimed program Wired debuts on DVD from Acorn Media on June 21, 2011. In this tightly-plotted and gripping British drama, a young and ambitious banker becomes entangled in a multimillion-pound scam orchestrated by dangerous members of London’s criminal underworld. StarringToby Stephens (Jane Eyre, Die Another Day, NBC’s Prime Suspect remake) andJodie Whittaker (Venus), Wired aired on ITV in 2008 and gained notoriety for its gritty realism and current contemporary relevance. Available to U.S. audiences for the first time, the series co-stars Laurence Fox (Inspector Lewis), Riz Ahmed(Four Lions), and Charlie Brooks (Bleak House).
Cash-strapped single mom Louise Evans (Jodie Whittaker) gets a high-profile promotion at her London bank, but at an unexpected cost. The tough, ambitious young woman quickly learns that the price of her position is entry into a criminal underworld she never dreamed existed.
Soon Louise becomes entangled with a ring of ruthless killers prepared to do anything to pull off their multimillion-pound scam. But she could use a little money herself, and she doesn’t quite trust the amorous undercover cop (Toby Stephens) who insists he wants to help her. In a world where nobody is quite what they seem, Louise keeps everyone guessing where her loyalties lie.
My review: I expected this three-part miniseries to have as thrilling of a plot as the title suggests, and I wasn’t let down. I’ll warn you though that viewers who are waiting for the plot explosions to come in the first and second episodes should hold on; the real payoff for all of the buildup of the first two episodes pays off greatly in the third. The characters in this show are so greatly layered that great surprises are in store. Hardly anyone is who you expect them to be.
Also, as a tie-in to my section concerning Outsourced, this show features none other than Sacha Dhawan, the actor who portrays Manmeet on the show. He’s still playing an everyman in this show, but his portrayal of a good man roped into a bad thing is great.
Under the Hammer
Credit: Acorn Media
Synopsis (from Acorn Media): One part art caper, one part slow-burn romance, Under the Hammer arrives on DVD from Acorn Media on June 21, 2011, offering a revealing glimpse into a high-stakes art world that celebrates profit nearly as much as artistic genius. Written by beloved author John Mortimer (Rumpole of the Bailey) and starring Richard Wilson (One Foot in the Grave), Jan Francis(Just Good Friends), and Michael Siberry (The Grand), this tightly-plotted series intrigues with secrets and seduction, seen through the lens of a London auction house. Broadcast on ITV in 1994, the series is available to U.S. audiences for the first time with this DVD debut.
Top-notch guest stars include John Gielgud (Arthur), Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island, Match Point, 30 Rock), Rosemary Harris (Spider-Man), Hermione Norris(Cold Feet), and Ian Carmichael (The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries).
Ben Glazier (Richard Wilson) and Maggie Perowne (Jan Francis) head the paintings department at Klinsky’s, a well-regarded auction house. Ben can’t resist a good mystery, whether it’s identifying a potential Titian masterpiece, tracking down a lost Dickens manuscript, or pondering how to catch Maggie’s attention. Maggie, meanwhile, dabbles in her own workplace intrigue—in the form of dashing-yet-dodgy wine expert Nick Roper (Michael Siberry).
Ben and Maggie share a profound passion for the art they put under the hammer, even if the job means contending with professional competition, a cash-mad boss, and the ever-present threat of fraud.
Episodes: The Fatal Attribution, Wonders in the Deep, The Virgin of Vitebsk, The Jolly Joker, After Titian, The Specter at the Feast, Treasure Trove
My review: I’ll go ahead and say that if you’re not into the posh, slightly stuffy lifestyle of the British upper class, then this show might not be for you. However, if you’re interested in how the other half lives as well as a lover of auction-houses, auction shows like Antiques Roadshow, or just a British television connoisseur, then you might want to give this show a look-see. The most intriguing part of this series is how the auction house comes to get their objects and the crazy histories behind them. Also at work is a love triangle between Glazier, Perowne and Roper.
————————————————————————————-
Wired
Street Date: June 21, 2011
SRP: $29.99
DVD Single: 3 episodes – Approx. 134 min. – SDH subtitles
Contains strong language and violence
Under the Hammer
Street Date: June 21, 2011
SRP: $49.99
DVD 2-Disc Set: Approx. 357 min. – 7 episodes – British drama – SDH subtitles
Bonus: Biography of John Mortimer
