I watched this pilot for the new series right after watching the third season opener of "Penny Dreadful". Comparison is not really unfair, since they're both competing for eyeballs in a crowded TV entertainment market.
The ongoing issue of Cable vs. Broadcast content, made more complicated now with upstarts like Amazon and Netflix joining the fray as streaming services, is in bold relief comparing these two. "Houdini and Doyle" is square, old-fashioned and lame in the worst way. I grew up addicted to and watching religiously mainstream TV dramas and action shows that coddled me - and was highly entertained: dozens of Westerns ranging from hits like "Rawhide" and "Have Gun -Will Travel" to personal favorite flops like "Black Saddle"; "Perry Mason" and especially Gene "Bat Mastersn" Barry in his Amos Burke character of "Burke's Law". Sure, I also enjoyed the avant garde of McGoohan as "Secret Agent" and "The Prisoner", "The Outer Limits", Richard Boone's short- lived anthology series with a repertory company cast, and Robert Loggia as "T.H.E. Cat".
These cornball but effective shows are what "Houdini and Doyle" reminds me of. The originals were quaint, age-appropriate and hold a warm, nostalgic place in my heart. The new one is crap. In particular the Houdini performance was annoying beyond belief - that guy really got on my nerves in a hurry. I had read all of H.P. Lovecraft's short stories ghosted for Houdini and his collected letters discussing Houdini, and that actual link alone would have made for a more interesting show in the vein of "Penny Dreadful" or even "American Horror Story" in which HPL could have been injected into the mix along with other interesting historical figures. All we got in this episode is name-dropping (Tesla, etc.) at a party.
By contrast, #3.1 of "Penny Dreadful" was loaded with great performances led by Patti LuPone and Wes Studi, incredible production values and suspenseful introduction of new characters and plot lines guaranteed to hook the viewer. "Doyle" had none of these.
This episode seemed vaguely to be underpinned by the brilliant Judi Dench movie "Philomena" but without that picture's trenchant criticism of the Catholic church. Instead, the mistreatment of young women and their loss of their babies became mere gimmick for "tonight's episode" in which the victimized woman becomes the bad guy. Yuck!
Pilot was directed by Stephen Hopkins (part of the show's production team), alumnus of "24" and Kevin Spacey's current TV hit. Perhaps his tolerance for the hambone self-indulgence which is Spacey accounts for the poor performance tolerated by him for Houdini's role. This actor as Houdini should have been replaced, not signed for the duration - he's unwatchable.
The ongoing issue of Cable vs. Broadcast content, made more complicated now with upstarts like Amazon and Netflix joining the fray as streaming services, is in bold relief comparing these two. "Houdini and Doyle" is square, old-fashioned and lame in the worst way. I grew up addicted to and watching religiously mainstream TV dramas and action shows that coddled me - and was highly entertained: dozens of Westerns ranging from hits like "Rawhide" and "Have Gun -Will Travel" to personal favorite flops like "Black Saddle"; "Perry Mason" and especially Gene "Bat Mastersn" Barry in his Amos Burke character of "Burke's Law". Sure, I also enjoyed the avant garde of McGoohan as "Secret Agent" and "The Prisoner", "The Outer Limits", Richard Boone's short- lived anthology series with a repertory company cast, and Robert Loggia as "T.H.E. Cat".
These cornball but effective shows are what "Houdini and Doyle" reminds me of. The originals were quaint, age-appropriate and hold a warm, nostalgic place in my heart. The new one is crap. In particular the Houdini performance was annoying beyond belief - that guy really got on my nerves in a hurry. I had read all of H.P. Lovecraft's short stories ghosted for Houdini and his collected letters discussing Houdini, and that actual link alone would have made for a more interesting show in the vein of "Penny Dreadful" or even "American Horror Story" in which HPL could have been injected into the mix along with other interesting historical figures. All we got in this episode is name-dropping (Tesla, etc.) at a party.
By contrast, #3.1 of "Penny Dreadful" was loaded with great performances led by Patti LuPone and Wes Studi, incredible production values and suspenseful introduction of new characters and plot lines guaranteed to hook the viewer. "Doyle" had none of these.
This episode seemed vaguely to be underpinned by the brilliant Judi Dench movie "Philomena" but without that picture's trenchant criticism of the Catholic church. Instead, the mistreatment of young women and their loss of their babies became mere gimmick for "tonight's episode" in which the victimized woman becomes the bad guy. Yuck!
Pilot was directed by Stephen Hopkins (part of the show's production team), alumnus of "24" and Kevin Spacey's current TV hit. Perhaps his tolerance for the hambone self-indulgence which is Spacey accounts for the poor performance tolerated by him for Houdini's role. This actor as Houdini should have been replaced, not signed for the duration - he's unwatchable.
