Great opening action scene with the Fire - but thereafter, with 'Kev's' Nut Roast Story, just went to same old, same old, with truly bad acting...not one character you could 'warm' too.
And what was the point with the Guy with the Nose.
Well forgive me for seeming a bit dim, but other than to boast a little, why bother posting ?
Where precisely was I 'boasting'?
My comments were driven by amazement that Sky1 - which has quite a male profile for a mainstream channel - would put, at the centre of a new drama series, a man whose genitals were burned off in a fire. It's like one of those C4/C5 'body shock' 'documentaries' soldered together with a otherwise mundane drama full of cliches.
Sky have more money to throw around than any other British broadcaster right now - yet The Smoke demonstrates that they don't have the expertise to commission the shows they need to be a truly distinctive broadcaster. And one that is potentially going to alienate its target audience is quite astonishing.
Lucy Kirkwood may be a respected theatre writer but she has next to no idea how to write working class men. What she created was a parade of stereotypes, one of whom she chose to emasculate - literally. Completely absent from The Smoke was any heart or warmth - the attempts at comedy were forced banter and what was there about any of the characters to care about?
It's all very well having pots of cash to throw around - you need talent to make it work. And, on the basis of that opening episode, there's was precious little of that around. Jamie Bamber is way better than what Kirkwood's writing furnished him with (obviously a well-paid gig for him) and everyone else mugged their way through it.
And the London Fire Service may well have wanted nothing to do with it - but, given that the show is set in east London (like London's Burning - which did have their seal of approval), how on earth are we supposed to think that they aren't London firefighters?
I don't know what everyone was expecting from this show if it was a similar programme to London's Burning then they were wrong as London's Burning was a light hearted soap on how the Fire Service used to be run. The Smoke is being portrayed on how the Fire Service is now run ie firefighters being injured due to lack of or inferior equipment and the them and us mentality between firefighters and Senior management.
I don't know what everyone was expecting from this show if it was a similar programme to London's Burning then they were wrong as London's Burning was a light hearted soap on how the Fire Service used to be run. The Smoke is being portrayed on how the Fire Service is now run ie firefighters being injured due to lack of or inferior equipment and the them and us mentality between firefighters and Senior management.
The difference is obvious in the casting: LB was an ensemble piece –*The Smoke, with Jamie Bamber's profile, is quite different.
LB was made with the involvement of the London Fire Brigade/Service. The Smoke isn't. If LB hadn't been, it could have said all the things The Smoke is showing. However, that's not really anything new … there have been loads of police/medical dramas where lack of resources have been dramatised, so how exactly is this different? And, to be fair, LB did dramatise the difference between firefighters and senior management.
All in all, money that could have been spent on something way more distinctive and bold.
By the end trade descriptions should have renamed London's Smouldering at best. I enjoyed The Smoke so far as something to unwind to and not have to overthink.
By the end trade descriptions should have renamed London's Smouldering at best. I enjoyed The Smoke so far as something to unwind to and not have to overthink.
BIB - that's what you get when you slash the budget for a show known for big stunts and action sequences, and when the people running ITV want to kill off the show …
If you want to unwind to charred genitalia, what can I say but each to their own!
BIB - that's what you get when you slash the budget for a show known for big stunts and action sequences, and when the people running ITV want to kill off the show …
If you want to unwind to charred genitalia, what can I say but each to their own!
That doesn't paint me in the best light does it. Maybe I should cancel my Sing Along to Shindler's List night at my local theatre ...
The difference is obvious in the casting: LB was an ensemble piece –*The Smoke, with Jamie Bamber's profile, is quite different.
LB was made with the involvement of the London Fire Brigade/Service. The Smoke isn't. If LB hadn't been, it could have said all the things The Smoke is showing. However, that's not really anything new … there have been loads of police/medical dramas where lack of resources have been dramatised, so how exactly is this different? And, to be fair, LB did dramatise the difference between firefighters and senior management.
All in all, money that could have been spent on something way more distinctive and bold.
Sometimes it's hard to get the jist of a show from one episode I know and as much as I liked LB hopefully the Smoke will be different especially as London FB are not involved
Just watched this. The acting was shocking, in fact I cannot remember a programme for some time were the acting was this bad. Shocked sky actually commissioned and broadcast this drivel.
I watched it, but as others have said it was just one cliché after another. I will watch another couple of episodes. I also watch 3 and then bin it if im not gripped. I mainly tuned in as I liked Jamie Bamber in Law & Order and Jodie Whittacker - but I fear they are wasted with this drama.
Found the "reveal" in front of the senior officer at the awards ceremony to be completely unrealistic: "Don't you know who I am? I'm here today to get a medal from you. I am Kevin Allison, do you know what happened to me?" (Senior officer shrugs and has no idea who he is, or what happened to him.) Kevin then drops his trousers to show his missing manhood.
Would it not be common knowledge among the top brass that one of their fire fighters had suffered emasculation on a shout? That the fire fighter who lost his penis 9 months ago had returned to active duty? Even if this senior officer is portrayed as "uncaring" or out of touch with the people on the ground, surely he would know about such a severe accident from a litigation perspective?
I haven't read through all the posts because of the threat of spoilers and I'm only just watching episode 2 atm.
Does anyone else not find it hard to believe that a very close knit unit such as a fire house wouldn't have noticed that the new recruit had a GIANT tattoo of a dragon on his @ss.
1 of only 2 things that their seriously injured colleague remembered about the yob that nearly killed him ? Another thing is that surely the yobbo must live on the estate & therefore another little clue to his identity from his address via his personnel file.
Ps, is there another thread for discussing the show ?
I haven't read through all the posts because of the threat of spoilers and I'm only just watching episode 2 atm.
Does anyone else not find it hard to believe that a very close knit unit such as a fire house wouldn't have noticed that the new recruit had a GIANT tattoo of a dragon on his @ss.
1 of only 2 things that their seriously injured colleague remembered about the yob that nearly killed him ? Another thing is that surely the yobbo must live on the estate & therefore another little clue to his identity from his address via his personnel file.
Ps, is there another thread for discussing the show ?
I can't work out Dennis(.
I am thinking the other guy Gog is a gang leader, and after that night he wanted out. But can he escape his past without punishment?
In response to the original question: it's not a rip-off of London's Burning. Wind your neck back in, go make a TV show for yourself, and stop worrying about other people.
Comments
Must have been very small because i cant find them anywhere!
Oh here it is, 371,000 (total)
Its not exactly attracting the masses is it!
So it's "London's Burning" meets "Sparatacus: Blood and Sand" then?
Not sure.
But Kev is coming over as a man on the edge of sanity.
His therapist has a lot of work to do.
And what was the point with the Guy with the Nose.
Yes - or ER was a rip off of Casualty (albeit with fifty times the budget and George Clooney!).:D
Well forgive me for seeming a bit dim, but other than to boast a little, why bother posting ?
totally agree
Where precisely was I 'boasting'?
My comments were driven by amazement that Sky1 - which has quite a male profile for a mainstream channel - would put, at the centre of a new drama series, a man whose genitals were burned off in a fire. It's like one of those C4/C5 'body shock' 'documentaries' soldered together with a otherwise mundane drama full of cliches.
Sky have more money to throw around than any other British broadcaster right now - yet The Smoke demonstrates that they don't have the expertise to commission the shows they need to be a truly distinctive broadcaster. And one that is potentially going to alienate its target audience is quite astonishing.
Lucy Kirkwood may be a respected theatre writer but she has next to no idea how to write working class men. What she created was a parade of stereotypes, one of whom she chose to emasculate - literally. Completely absent from The Smoke was any heart or warmth - the attempts at comedy were forced banter and what was there about any of the characters to care about?
It's all very well having pots of cash to throw around - you need talent to make it work. And, on the basis of that opening episode, there's was precious little of that around. Jamie Bamber is way better than what Kirkwood's writing furnished him with (obviously a well-paid gig for him) and everyone else mugged their way through it.
And the London Fire Service may well have wanted nothing to do with it - but, given that the show is set in east London (like London's Burning - which did have their seal of approval), how on earth are we supposed to think that they aren't London firefighters?
The difference is obvious in the casting: LB was an ensemble piece –*The Smoke, with Jamie Bamber's profile, is quite different.
LB was made with the involvement of the London Fire Brigade/Service. The Smoke isn't. If LB hadn't been, it could have said all the things The Smoke is showing. However, that's not really anything new … there have been loads of police/medical dramas where lack of resources have been dramatised, so how exactly is this different? And, to be fair, LB did dramatise the difference between firefighters and senior management.
All in all, money that could have been spent on something way more distinctive and bold.
BIB - that's what you get when you slash the budget for a show known for big stunts and action sequences, and when the people running ITV want to kill off the show …
If you want to unwind to charred genitalia, what can I say but each to their own!
That doesn't paint me in the best light does it. Maybe I should cancel my Sing Along to Shindler's List night at my local theatre ...
Sometimes it's hard to get the jist of a show from one episode I know and as much as I liked LB hopefully the Smoke will be different especially as London FB are not involved
Would it not be common knowledge among the top brass that one of their fire fighters had suffered emasculation on a shout? That the fire fighter who lost his penis 9 months ago had returned to active duty? Even if this senior officer is portrayed as "uncaring" or out of touch with the people on the ground, surely he would know about such a severe accident from a litigation perspective?
Springtime for Hitler and Germany...
Saw the trailers for this show, it looked terrible so didn't bother.
I've just watched the first episode and thought it was very good, will definitely be watching again.
Considering your username I'm not surprised you like it:D
Does anyone else not find it hard to believe that a very close knit unit such as a fire house wouldn't have noticed that the new recruit had a GIANT tattoo of a dragon on his @ss.
1 of only 2 things that their seriously injured colleague remembered about the yob that nearly killed him ? Another thing is that surely the yobbo must live on the estate & therefore another little clue to his identity from his address via his personnel file.
Ps, is there another thread for discussing the show ?
I can't work out Dennis(.
I am thinking the other guy Gog is a gang leader, and after that night he wanted out. But can he escape his past without punishment?