Uncomfortable TV: HBO's 'Five Days'
Twitter
I'm not sure what's going on at HBO these days, but the network is not making it easy to watch its product.
For years the network has had the squirminess of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Now it's added a pair of intensely personal drams to the mix: the up-close-and-way-too-personal Tell Me You Love Me and the British miniseries Five Days, which is midway through its run.
It's not TV, it's depressing.
Five Days tells the story of a young mother's disappearance, bouncing back and forth between her devastated family and the police investigating the case. David Oyelowo (MI-5, The Last King of Scotland) plays Matt Wellings, the husband of the missing woman (Christine Tremarco), who's young and pretty and therefore the perfect victim for a media maelstrom. So is the nature of her disappearance: She stops to pick up flowers from a roadside stand and just vanishes, leaving her two young children in the car.
Each episode is one long day in the course of the investigation, beginning with the day of the abduction. But things don't go straight ahead from there -- episode two is day three, and the third installment, which aired this week, skips all the way ahead to day 28, during which the lead investigator (Hugh Bonneville, who's been in Notting Hill and Iris) faces a review from slimy department investigators and a couple key pieces of evidence come to light. And, oh yeah, it's Matt's birthday.
Five Days is undeniably compelling; I've caught up via replays and DVR use, and I'm eager to see what comes next. Which is not to say that I'm enjoying it, not exactly.
While the mystery elements are all there, this is no thriller. Instead, like Tell Me You Love Me, the miniseries traffics in an uncomfortable intimacy with its characters and wrenching emotional details. It's not easy to watch, yet once you're in, it's hard to stop watching.
I know -- not the heartiest of recommendations. But if you're into that sort of thing, HBO has all three episodes available on demand, and there are numerous reruns of episodes two and three coming up on its various channels.
HBO has never shied away from difficult subjects -- this is, after all, the network that made shows about a sociopathic mobster and a dysfunctional family of undertakers -- but this new trendlet is something else. Five Days and Tell Me You Love Me practically dare a viewer to keep watching, and there aren't always rewards if you do, at least not in the way television typically delivers them.
Is that a good thing, to challenge your audience to the point where it's almost too much? I don't know. I find I can only take so much at a time; consequently I've fallen behind on Tell Me, although I've recovered sufficiently to jump back into it.
What's your call? Does this type of television engage you, or would you rather not feel depressed after watching a scripted drama?
Post a comment
- Most Liked
- Most Commented
Count me among the hooked. I haven't had time to watch ep 3 yet, but it's waiting in the machine. I would have watched it last night, but I got in late and needed fluff, so I ran "Pushing Daisies" instead. Liked it, but I'm developing a "do I really need to see this every week?" feeling about it. "Five Days," quite the opposite. Maybe because it's compelling, maybe because it's short-term, maybe some of each.
Five Days is very well done and the personal quality just makes me care more about the outcome.The characters,both public and private, feel authentic-everyone is flawed and as time goes on, agendas are being revealed, and previously buried resentments and su****ions are beginning to surface.The acting is excellent and subdued-no over the top histrionics.I would definitely recommend it, but I admit that I am a big fan of British productions in general.
I stopped watching HBO when they cancelled DEADWOOD.
Five Days is far and away the very best television series of the year. It's compelling because it is so very realistic in it's storyline and portrayal of it's characters. It pulls no punches as it shows our warts as easily as it displays our love.
I give a tremendous amount of credit to the BBC for producing this miniseries. Likewise, I credit HBO for airing it.
Sadly, I may have to wait another ten decades before Hollywood produces a similar quality product.
This show is just poor, cliched characters, rambling subplots. I love many British shows (MI-5, Foyle's War, Prime Suspect) that are far superior to this tripe. As soon as I know who the real killer is, I'm gone, really disappointed.
So far I'm loving it. It's hard watching what to me are REAL people and REAL emotions. But I don't watch a lot of TV and this one has me hooked. I hope I don't figure it out until the last, very last moment of the 5th day.
So it's a matter of opinion I guess. Gritty scripted reality vs scripted fluff-I'll take the grit of this excellent mini-series.
hey mack (sorry, I could not resist!) i don't know where you live but babe, this is spot on! i have lived through the media glare and scrutiny of my 'peers' and my experience is frightening;y similar. MI-5 took a wierd-*** turn in the second and last season, btw.
good 4 hours of entertainment, i say. i just did a marathon of episodes 1-4 and can't wait, for the conclusion next sunday!
I'm right there with you, Craig...I'm hooked and really disappointed that today is Tuesday and episode 5 is not on! And Nancy...cut your boycott and get back to HBO, you're missing out on great TV!
This series is EXCELLENT. I watched the five episodes back-to-back and could not stop myself. High caliber, subtle and relatable acting. I wish American TV could catch up.
It's now 1:50am and I just finished my 5 hour marathon of one of the best TV events I've seen in years. Watching it all in one viewing helped my 'little grey cells' from forgetting from week to week all the characters and the events and also helped me see that everything was connected to everything and everyone else...and for once I was ahead of the coppers in figuring out the main criminal. Even the red herrings were connected.. Once again 3 cheerios to the BBC/HBO and my DVR.