Mon 11 Jul 2011
A TV Series Review by Stan Burns: SLINGS AND ARROWS (Season One; 2003).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Comedy[11] Comments
SLINGS AND ARROWS. Season One, 2003. Six episodes x 60m. Movie Central/The Movie Network, Canada; Sundance, US (2005). Paul Gross, Martha Burns, Stephen Ouimette, Susan Coyne, Don McKellar, Mark McKinney, Oliver Dennis.
I have just finished the first of three series of these (six hour shows each series). Basically this is a comedy with dramatic elements that takes place during a Shakespeare festival in Canada, and deals with vain and backstabbing actors, corporate sponsorship (they want to dump Shakespeare and put on “uplifting” shows like Mama Mia!), commercialism, and all the other stuff that goes on in a small provincial acting company.
At times I found them achingly funny, at sad moments compellingly moving. One of the characters is run over by a truck taking pigs to the slaughterhouse in the first episode (a hammy ex-actor whose is the festival’s artistic director).
His ghost (Banquo’s ghost?) comes back to haunt the new interim artistic director of the festivalan actor whose Hamlet is considered one of the finest ever presented on stage, but was only seen by a only few as he had a nervous breakdown during the fourth performance and hasn’t acted in six years.
Considering how positive the reviews have been for Slings and Arrows, I am surprised I have never heard of it before. (In fact one of the reviews starts out this is the best series you have never heard of.) Produced for Canadian television, it was shown here only on the Sundance Channel, which I have never gotten.
While it is a little slow to start (a lot of characters and background are introduced in the first episode), by the middle of the second episode this “play within a play” had me rolling on the floor.
The first series is terrific, and the reviews say the second and third are even better. I am standing by my mailbox waiting for the next installment.
Terrific writing by people involved in Canadian theater, excellent acting – one of the stars is a young Rachael McAdams before she was “discovered” by Hollywood and went on to make Mean Girls and The Notebook in the next few years.
Series One rating: A.
July 11th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
All three seasons are available on DVD as well as Netflix and Amazon Video.
July 11th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
That’s the cover of the complete set on Blu-Ray that you see at the top of the review. I grabbed it up right away when I first read Stan’s review, which was a few months ago in his apazine WHO DONUT?
I haven’t watched it yet. I thought posting his review here would prompt me into doing so.
As well as letting other people know about this “unknown” series!
July 11th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
I give it 2 skulls up!
July 11th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Loved this series.
July 11th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
I loved the series too. Especially the first six episodes/First Season reviewed above (the later seasons are weaker IMHO).
It is a delightful comedy drama.
It is also pleasant to see a film about good, talented people who are trying to accomplish something positive. It is a great relief from all the dysfunctional serial killers, etc.
July 12th, 2011 at 1:38 am
I liked the first series so much that I bought the complete set on DVD (long before the Blu-ray version was out) when Deep Discount had it for 50% off on one of their infrequent sales.
People who buy the Blu-ray version should be warned that the first season was not shot in HD, and has been up-converted for this collection (series II and III were shot in HD).
July 15th, 2011 at 9:56 pm
I live in the US and it was the title that kept me away originally, I thought it was some kind of period piece. When I finally did watch, I couldn’t get enough. It has brilliant writing, superior acting (most of these actors have spent the bulk of their careers in the best Canadian theaters), and it’s full of humor and irony. Irony, as elements of the major plot are art imitates life imitates art. From dark comedy moments to slapstick bits to poignant raw emotion, this series does it all. Definitely, the best series we all should have known about much sooner.
With all that, what I thought it did best, was to show Shakespeare as relevant for the today’s “everyman.” There are scenes of his plays interwoven into some of the episodes that held me spellbound. This group made the issues of language and period in those scripts disappear. I WANTED to see those plays after seeing these episodes and I am far from being any type of theater buff.
Watch and enjoy and all three seasons. While the series end does come to a fitting conclusion, you still might find yourself wishing for just a bit more.
July 15th, 2011 at 11:38 pm
ScottTee
Comments like yours make doing this blog all the more worthwhile. Thanks!
— Steve
July 17th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Loved this apart from Burns’ obvious copycat impression of Meg Ryan.
July 17th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
I assume you mean Martha Burns, not Stan…!
July 18th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Yes. Her gestures and delivery are practically synchronized to Ryan’s work in Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, but without Ryan’s charm. The rest of the cast, however are superb.