Amazon

A big "Thank You!" to Peter Benchley for giving us what I feel is the best new show of the year. It is refreshing to finally watch a T.V. series with a totally unique concept. The cast is made up of a wonderful array of actors including C. Thomas Howell, Carol Alt, Fabiano Udenio (Austin Powers, Part 1), Rob Stewart, Chris Martin, Tyler Hynes and Gabriel Hogan(Traders) just to name a few. The actors have done a superb job of making their characters grow on you with each passing episode. I find the show to be filled with drama, suspense yet it also has heartwarming compassion. It may take a couple of episodes to get to know the characters and the storyline, but I believe most will find it well worth their while to watch it. I find myself anxiously awaiting each new episode. Gilligan's Island this is NOT! Long live Amazon!

This is one of the best Canadian shows you will see on TV ! This show has cast one of the most impressive young & talented kids in Toronto, Danielle Bouffard. Danielle plays the role of Mary in this wonderfully well written TV series. You will love her in this show as much as you all loved her in the role of Sophie in the TV series 'Traders'. You may also remember Danielle as Angel Bryson at age 5 in the TV series 'Twice in a Lifetime' and Katie Miller in the TV series 'Blue Murder'.

Amazon is such a great show because of its vast diversity in characters, plot, and appeal for all ages and both sexes..The "survivors" each have their unique persona, and as a group they have such great chemistry on screen. I personally like the Native tribe the best, although I know so many Amazon fans prefer The Ghost Tribe because of certain "nice-looking" actors!! The natives have such great costumes, and they speak the language so convincingly..and they really do help add some spice to the diversity I mentioned. And of course, the set is beautiful. It's a change from the usual sit-com apartment or coffee shop. Congratulations Benchley! It's a wonderful show!!

I can't help but notice that the new hit show Lost seems to be borrowing a lot of elements from Amazon. In Amazon a plane crashes and the survivors eventually meet up with a race of people who are the descendants of the survivor's of a centuries old shipwreck. Last week the black rock in Lost turns out to be the name of what appears to be a wrecked galleon. My guess is that "the others" that the French woman is warning them about are going to be related to the passengers on the Black Rock. Peter Benchley's work seems ripe for picking these days with the new movie Into the Blue starring Jessica Alba and Paul Walker being HEAVILY influenced by The Deep.

I saw the first episode last night (in Toronto we get it later) and I thought it was really cool. It was entertaining and interesting. The crash scene was done really well and the sound stage is absolutely amazing. I am kind of concerned about how they're going to drag on the plot line throughout an entire series without repeating too much and without making it another Gilligan's Island. We'll just have to watch and find out. From what I've seen so far, I give it an A+.