journalist1

I just don't understand it, space force has something for everyone. The series is contemporary, heartwarming and the most important ingredient of all, it's funny. I think what people need to do is to take the politics out of it, if they can do that they will thoroughly enjoy the show. As a traditional Conservative there are obvious elements that normally I would dislike; however, the show also laughs at the left; subsequently, I believe the shows producers have got the balance about right. Steve Carroll was brilliant at playing Space Force's base head honcho, the good-natured but fallible general Mark Naird. Carrel has the acting chops to communicate the entire gamut of human emotions to the viewer and does so very well indeed. As a result our lead actor is a firm foundation for the show generally, backed up with an eclectic cast determined to make you laugh and they succeed. I do so hope that they renew the show for a second season, the fans are aching to learn what happened on the moon and exactly WHY was Naird's wife incarcerated for so long and more importantly....what for!?

Tony Johnson is simply one of the best film animators in Britain today, yet the industry has completely overlooked him.

Fallen Angel is a masterpiece, in that, Tony has done the impossible, on a very limited budget he has produced something that will in the course of time become known as a masterpiece. Somehow, he gathered about him exactly the right group to implement his vision and what a vision it is. On one level Fallen Angel is a road movie where both the journey and destination are magical beyond belief and on the other somehow asks and answers some of the biggest questions that concern us all. Fallen Angel touches the viewer deeply as Johnson mixes up a dazzling recipe using exactly the right plot, narration, soundtrack, artwork and direction. Tony's interpretation of life's mysteries are stunning, never to be forgotten.

Here's some history: Back in 1996 the BBC, a major British television broadcaster presented Fallen Angel late one night during their 'Manga Week' without any fanfare. Now let's fast forward to weeks later, I was at Broadcasting House, the BBC's old HQ in London to review a tech show they were producing and mentioned Tony's film project. The network informed me they had been inundated with requests for repeats and information on the artist/director and this is where it gets really sad and incredibly bewildering, we had on the one hand, a young, very talented artist with real vision and on the other Johnson lives in one of the richest countries in the world with incredible levels of investment capital yet not one investor or broadcaster saw fit to finance his work, none seemingly had the vision required.

Tony went on to create 4 shorts but never got the chance he truly deserved and while the UK is world famous for stop motion animation, the country had for a time, the opportunity to sponsor a true visionary, one whom I believe, could and would have gone on to create ever better films. Here's to you Tony, there IS still time.

Your friend from Guildford.

What stunning set design! and don't forget the superb, atmospheric score as well as the the script which evokes the period so well......but wait, (we shudder to a halt); oh, what a shame, the series is let down by the otherwise excellent cast in first two scenes who, unfortunately, are somewhat wooden, as well as the presentation of bog-standard SFX in the opening scene. Luckily for the viewer, things improve dramatically as the premiere episode moves on. Having said that, the positives far outweigh the negatives. Remember the early episodes of Games of Thrones? Poor, wooden acting that gave way to fluid, competent portrayals of well-known and beloved characters, who today, are household names.

During episode one, we see the cast struggling somewhat to fit their roles as the rest of us dress in our clothes, and yes, there is some fidgeting, as well as a little tugging here and there as we settle into our outfits, the same can be said, somewhat, of Beowulf's cast.

Are the sets realistic? Trust me, the sets are incredible, reflecting the very highest production values, creating exactly the right atmosphere, especially the Hall of the Mountain King which evokes the very best of Tolkienian fantasy. And what about the villages and towns? Incredibly, I believe they have been built from scratch.

Which reminds me, the titles also look amazing, truly of the era.

Where were we? Oh yes, episode one sees Beowulf as a child bereft, having just witnessed the death of his father following a fight against 'mud-born' trolls. Indeed, we see a very young Beowulf seize the moment and finish off the creatures.

Moving on, the audience witnesses the chronology flip forward and we get to see an older, rather more experienced and mature Beowulf returning home to visit with his beloved step-father Hrothgar, played brilliantly by William Hurt who always shines in these types of roles (remember Ridley Scott's Robin Hood?). However, on arriving, we discover Hrothgar dead and the family engaged in power politics with the crown as the prize. What of Beowulf? We find he is unwelcome, unwelcome indeed......

In closing, before turning over, I recommend you give the show the old college try as the adaptation has much to offer and the production behoves us all to persevere because the later episodes are absolutely first class.

Another excellent ITV production deserving of a heroic 8/10