Slings and Arrows

I found this terrific series by accident on The Sundance Channel. I watched the first few minutes, was completely sucked in and then ecstatic when I discovered it was an actual series and there were more episodes than the one I had just watched! For those of you out there who loved Paul Gross in the Tales of the City mini-series you must watch this show!! He is wonderfully lost and adorably manic as Geoffrey Tennant returning to a world he thought he had come to hate, but in essence loves so much he can't live without it. But he is not the only gem on this show. All the characters, although they seem like clichés at first, are in truth, impeccably written and wonderfully acted. Shakespeare lovers, or just theater lovers in general will drown in happiness when watching this look behind the curtain.

This series is not only great fun to watch, but is also extremely poignant and insightful. The antics offered by the characters keep things moving quickly and maintain the entertainment, but every now and again, they slip a subversive bit of social commentary into the mix as well.

When Irwin's corporate shark quips at one point that she's always had an idea to do a musical about John Lennon's life, saying that it would have everything the modern production needs to succeed (sex, drama and familiar music) it's hard for the "Mama Mia!" marquee to not flash in the mind's eye. When Burns' young stud pronounces that he loves "serious theatre" while holding an inflatable doll in the shape of the man from Munch's "The Scream", the fundamental paradox in presenting the arts in our times hits you in the face: in order to produce, you need to sell, but it's hard to sell without selling out.

The contrast between approaches to Shakespeare used by Gross' reluctant, haunted (literally!) Artistic Director and McKellar's over the top Art-Nouveaux Director (a send up of Robert LePage, I'm sure) is fantastic, and illustrates that Shakespeare can be both artistic AND accessible. The snippets shown of the final mounted production of Hamlet are brilliant, and Gross' speeches about the meaning of the various passages in the play should be cribbed by all high school students studying it.

One hopes that Showcase, Bravo or HBO will pick this up, and even better, that a DVD release is forthcoming. Or better yet - a second series?

You can tell that this TV show came out of a country other the the US because it's so well acted, very funny and just plain brilliant. It's unashamedly aimed at adults with IQ's over 10. I've been a huge fan of Stephen Ouimettes for years so I expected nothing but the best from him, but what a pleasant surprise to find this show chock a block with actors who actually can act. I watched the first two seasons straight through the night purring like a cat with a saucer of cream. It's great fun seeing how the theatre works behind the scenes - at last a show with a unique theme, original ideas and clever writing. I hope this one lasts and lasts.

I quite enjoyed watching 'Slings and Arrows' on TMN this past season, and must say - it was a delight to finally see something strikingly original and drop down funny on the telly. It was well received, by the audiences who knew of its existence, but lacked any sort of advertisement and flare that HBO shows get. It's been too long since something like this has been tried, and it sure as hell stacks up to the HBO shows any day. Paul Gross has finally shown he as as good an actor as he is a looker. The characters are thoughtfully developed and the plot line is kept alive by the fast-moving pace of this Stratford-like festival. A perfect score all the way.

Go to Amazon.com right now and register your vote for "Slings & Arrows" on DVD! This series has been amazing to watch (it's starting a repeat run on Sundance Channel this Sunday night, Sept.17th) and has reminded me how much I loved Shakespeare long ago. Paul Gross is a wonder to watch and even if you aren't "into" the Bard, you will want to see his performance. All of the performances are top notch and the writing is very real. You can recognize these characters as people you know. The script doesn't allow for easy answers to the questions raised, but gives the characters complexities that I have not seen in a mini-series before. It is smart, well observed and funny as hell! Amazon is looking for "votes" to gage interest in production of a DVD of the first series. I urge you to go there now! You will definitely want to watch this show over and over again.